Hundreds of refugees broke through a Croatian police checkpoint on the border of Berkasovo-Bapska and entered Croatia on Tuesday (20 October). Croatian police did not intervene and, in some cases, actually helped migrants to climb out of the mud to cross over.
Earlier on 20 October, Croatian police had stopped the flow of people through the bypass route over nearby fields, but only after hundreds walked into Croatia. The area was cordoned off with about a hundred people being held there.
Buses continued to arrive in Berkasovo carrying migrants travelling from Presevo, a town in the south of Serbia, where migrants stop en route from Macedonia.
Early on 20 October morning, there were around 2,500 people at the Berkasovo-Bapska border between Serbia and Croatia, trudging through mud and rubbish past the tunnel of tents leading to the crossing.
Many slept the night under open skies or in tents and tarpaulins provided by aid agencies. Others wrapped in blankets tried to stay warm from small camp-fires by burning rags of clothing and blankets.
