Bosnians protest against latest influx of migrants

An escalating crisis over the increased number of migrants coming to Bosnia provoked more than 2,000 residents of the western town of Bihac to take to the streets on Saturday and protest the government's inability to handle the problem.

Bihac lies on a well trodden route for immigrants trying to reach Croatia and the European Union, and has been a hotspot for trouble for over two years.

According to the protesters, the central government is not doing enough to protect the local population, as incidents involving migrants have been on a sharp rise.

Last Friday, a riot in one of the camps near Bihac led to the stabbing of a policeman and authorities had to fire warning shots to disperse a crowd of hundreds of migrants.

Bihac residents have demanded that Sarajevo close down all camps in the area and prevent further uncontrolled movement.

The International Organization for Migration, which practically runs three major refugee camps in the Bihac area, says that over 3,000 migrants are now settled there, but that probably double that number are roaming the streets and forests around Bihac as there is no more room in these organised settlements.

The migrants, mostly from Afghanistan and Pakistan but also from Northern Africa, are trying to cross the mountains from Bihac and reach EU territory in Croatia, before moving further towards their desired destinations in Western Europe.