(15 Nov 2019) Migrants staying at the Bira camp in Bihac slept in containers placed inside a sprawling hall and spoke on Friday of the harsh conditions they've had to endure.
The migrants' intention was to try to go over a nearby mountain to get into Croatia before moving on to western Europe.
They often spend weeks, or even months, in Bosnia trying to cross several times into Croatia, where police have been accused of violent pushback of migrants.
Police have denied any violent pushback.
In a bid to pressure the central government to relocate some of the migrants from the area, the regional government has pledged to fully restrict migrant movement to and from Bira and Vucjak, the two main camps, from Friday, while citizens' protests are planned for later in the day.
Migrants standing outside the camp said police wouldn't let them move freely in the city.
Bosnian guards could be seen Friday by the entrance ensuring no new migrants came into the facility.
A police car was parked outside the camp.
The news that they won’t be allowed to leave and rumors that the camps could be shut down left them wondering what will happen next.
"Everything is a problem, it's cold and everybody is dirty," said Obit Han from Afghanistan. "Police come every day and catch (migrants) and send for Vucjak (camp.)"
Bosnia's central government has said it would allocate two former army barracks to be turned into new migrant facilities.
This was hailed by the EU mission in Bosnia on Friday, which expressed hope it lead to the closure of the Vucjak camp.
Ethnically divided following the 1990s' conflict, Bosnia has failed to come up with a unified and efficient response to the migrant crisis.
he Bosnian Serb part of the country has refused to accept any migrants on its territory and has blocked efforts to deploy the army to stem the influx of migrants from Serbia.
"The situation is out of control, the situation has escalated," complained local official Ermin Zulic.
"They are telling us that even greater number of migrants will be pouring in next year so we had to react."
Impoverished Bosnia has been overwhelmed by the arrival of migrants heading toward Europe along the so-called Balkan route.
Most migrants flock to the northwest section of the Balkan country, which borders European Union member Croatia.

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