Balkans become a path to freedom

Asmall but growing number of people fleeing China are travelling to the region with the hope of getting into the EU

- Amy Hawkins BIHAC

In a sleepy Bosnian town, barely eight kilometres from the border with the EU, an old water tower is falling into ruin. Inside, piles of rubbish, cigarette butts and a portable wood-fired stove offer glimpses into the daily life of the people who briefly called the building home.

Glued on to the walls is another clue: pieces of A4 paper with the same message is printed out again and again: "If you would like to travel to Europe (Italy, Germany, France, etc) we can help you. Please add this number on WhatsApp." The message is printed in the languages of often-desperate people: Somali, Nepali, Turkish, the list goes on. The last translation on the list indicates a newcomer to this unlucky club. It is written in Chinese.

Bihać water tower was once used to replenish steam trains travelling across the former Yugoslavia. Now it provides shelter to those making the perilous journey through the Balkans, with the hope of crossing into Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina's neighbour in the EU.

Zhang (not his real name) arrived in Bosnia in April with two young children in tow. The journey he describes as walking "towards the path of freedom" started months earlier in Langfang, a city in China's northern Hebei province. So far it has taken them through four countries, cost thousands of dollars, led to run-ins with the aggressive Croatian border police, and has paused in a temporary reception centre on the outskirts of Sarajevo.

The camp, which is home to more than 200 people, is specifically for families, vulnerable people and unac companied minors. As well as the rows of dormitories set among the rolling Balkan hills, there is a playground and an education centre. But it is a lonely life. It is rare to meet another Chinese speaker.