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Story Publication logo January 22, 2021

In photos: 'The Game' in the Age of the Pandemic

Country:

Bosnia and herzegovina

Author:

Ziyah Gafic
Grantee

Media file: 97056689_3482632571751755_1809769665140883456_n.jpg

English

The aim of this project is to follow undocumented migrants as they navigate through the COVID-19...

Ziyah Gafic
Grantee

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Pakistanis make their way to Croatia over the mountain Plješevica on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

A young Afghan is seen on the side of the road leading to the border with Croatia. He was just sent back to Bosnia by Croatian authorities without any due process of repatriation, and all his possessions were confiscated. He was walking for over a week and his feet are showing signs of the trench foot, a very painful condition caused by inadequate shoes and a prolonged stay in wet conditions. Being in proximity of the border with Croatia is a logical route for migrants. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

Migrants line up for food provided by the activist Zehida Bihorac Odobašić in front of an abandoned factory where they built a makeshift, temporary settlement in Velika Kladuša. Due to the lack of imigration centers, migrants are forced to live outdoors without access to clean water, health services and food. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

Migrants wash their clothes and bathe in a small and polluted stream behind the abandoned factory in Velika Kladuša. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

Pakistanis are seen in front of their makeshift outdoor kitchen just before they cross to Croatia. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

Pakistanis rest in a forest half a mile away from the border with Croatia. Once they cross the border they have nearly 200 miles to reach Italy. They usually move at night, staying away from the villages and towns. If caught, they are usually stripped of all their possessions and sent back to Bosnia. This illegal practice is called pushback and often includes violence, beatings, and various forms of humiliation. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

In Sarajevo, Rashid holds apples brought by activists. Migrants largely depend on help provided by people and international organizations. Rashid lives in an abandoned, derelict building. It lacks all the basic necessities such as electricity, heating and running water. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

In Velika Kladuša, a group of Morrocans cook in the abandoned factory where they built a makeshift, temporary settlement. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

Activist Azra Velagić Macić distributes food to a group of people from Morocco and Algeria in Sarajevo. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

Vučjak, the first informal settlement of migrants in Bosnia, is seen in Bihać. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2019.

A young Pakistani sleeps on the grass in Bihać. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

Two migrants cross the river Drina between Bosnia and Serbia. As winter comes, Drina is becoming increasingly dangerous to cross, yet it is still the most common way for migrants to cross from Serbia to Bosnia. Image by Ziyah Gafic. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2020.

This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, The National Geographic Society and VII Foundation.

Bosnia-Herzegovina became an unlikely gatekeeper of the European Union. Since Hungary sealed off its borders with the rest of the Balkans, Bosnia's over a thousand miles long, porous borders became the principal gateway to Europe for tens of thousands of migrants and refugees on their perilous journey to a better life.

The majority see Bosnia as only a transit country. All they want is to get in "The Game," a term used to describe their journey to reach the European Union.

This precarious odyssey involves navigating treacherous rivers and minefields left over from the Bosnian war, then trekking on foot through Croatia, all the way to Italy and beyond.

Even before the pandemic, the people on the move were by far the largest marginalized group in Bosnia, with extremely limited health care and precarious lifestyles, squatting in abandoned, overcrowded buildings that lack even basic sanitation.

The ongoing pandemic is quickly exacerbating the tensions between the local population and migrants. The local population is self organising in some form of vigilante groups, stopping the buses and inspecting them if they are transporting migrants, a completely illegal practice ignored by the authorities. People in the northwest of the country are largely carrying the burden of the uncontrolled influx of migrants and refugees and the pressure is mounting. All the difficulties the pandemic brought, financial insecurity in particular, are only augmenting their frustration, which could escalate into violence toward the people on the move. Cases of COVID-19 are being reported among migrants and refugees; social distancing is simply not an option for them. Given the fragility of the Bosnian health care system and general animosity toward the migrants, it is easy to imagine a disastrous scenario.

The pandemic will eventually end, but the migrants' ordeal in Bosnia will likely continue.

The photos were published in the print version of these National Geographic magazines: National Geographic Serbia in November 2020 and National Geographic Croatia in November/December 2020.

COVID-19 Update: The connection between local and global issues–the Pulitzer Center's long standing mantra–has, sadly, never been more evident. We are uniquely positioned to serve the journalists, news media organizations, schools and universities we partner with by continuing to advance our core mission: enabling great journalism and education about underreported and systemic issues that resonate now–and continue to have relevance in times ahead. We believe that this is a moment for decisive action. Learn more about the steps we are taking.