AP, Majdan
At first sight, this tiny village in Serbia seems sleepy and almost abandoned, like many others across the Balkan country.
But a closer look reveals a parallel reality lived by its temporary migrant residents, who are struggling to cross from Serbia over heavily guarded borders with neighboring European Union states Romania and Hungary.
Majdan has been one of the hubs along Serbia’s border with EU neighbors where migrants remain stranded, often for months, while making dozens of thwarted attempts to cross the border and move on toward Western Europe. It encapsulates their problem: they can’t go forward and they can’t go back.
Authorities deny it, but the migrants tell stories of being repeatedly pushed back at the border in what is an illegal anti-migrant strategy.
Here, empty or abandoned houses serve as temporary homes to people who fled their own homes in the Middle East, Africa or Asia with the aim of starting a new life somewhere else. At the moment, Majdan is hosting about 200 migrants — just slightly fewer than the village’s own registered population.
“Border closed, border with Romania (is) big problem,” said 24-year old Palestinian Marsel Abohosein, speaking in English. He added that in the past month he has tried 20 or 30 times to cross and was pushed back every time. “Police catch me and (send) back to Serbia.”
Groups of migrants walking in scorching heat through corn or sunflower fields toward the border with Romania are a common sight in Majdan.
The migrants’ persistence reflects both their determination and their hardship in their quest for a better future.
Because Hungary’s border with Serbia is strongly fenced to prevent crossings, migrants in Majdan go toward Romania first and then Hungary from there. Thousands of others stuck in Serbia also aim for Croatia in the west, or go to Bosnia first and then Croatia, an EU member with a reputation for police brutality against migrants that authorities have denied.
Despite numerous allegations of abuse, nations along the migrant routes into Europe have rejected pushback and violence claims, which are very hard to verify independently.