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(PHOTO) AP at the Serbian-Croatian border: Travelers exhausted, hungry and thirsty, waiting for hours in the heat
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Disasters & Emergencies

(PHOTO) AP at the Serbian-Croatian border: Travelers exhausted, hungry and thirsty, waiting for hours in the heat

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Heavy summer holiday traffic caused long delays at the Bajakovo-Batrovci border crossing between Serbia and Croatia.
  • Drivers faced waits of up to eight hours in temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, with some reporting exhaustion, hunger, and thirst.
  • The delays coincided with the EU's new Entry/Exit System, though its contribution to the congestion is unclear.

Travelers faced grueling waits at the Serbian-Croatian border as peak summer holiday traffic overwhelmed the Bajakovo-Batrovci crossing. Some drivers reported being stuck in queues up to seven kilometers long, enduring temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius for up to eight hours.

Many tourists heading from Serbia to Croatia, or returning home, expressed exhaustion and distress. Senad Arman, returning to Turkey from Croatia with his family, described the two-hour wait as a test of endurance, stating, "We are very tired, hungry and thirsty."

We are waiting for two hours already, we are very tired, hungry and thirsty.

โ€” Senad ArmanA traveler returning to Turkey from Croatia, describing his experience at the border.

The congestion occurred as the European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric screening process replacing passport stamps, is being implemented. While the EES has been temporarily suspended in some countries to speed up passenger flow, it remains unclear if this new system contributed to the extensive delays at Bajakovo-Batrovci.

On Friday, Vjekoslav Draลกkovicฬa, a frequent border crosser, expressed disbelief at the situation, saying, "I should have left last night at midnight if I had known about this. I have never experienced anything like it before... I have never seen anything like it."

I should have left last night at midnight if I had known about this. I have never experienced anything like it before... I have never seen anything like it.

โ€” Vjekoslav DraลกkovicฬaA frequent border crosser commenting on the unprecedented delays.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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