‘The Game’, as it’s called by migrants, is a series of illegal border crossings made on foot through

the Balkan region of Eastern Europe. None of these crossings carry as much weight as the one

just outside of Velika Kladusa, a dreary frontier town in Bosnia, minutes from the Croatian border.

Here, on a daily basis, men, women and children attempt to enter the Schengen zone where the

promise of safety, security and a new life awaits. Walking through dark beaten paths that cut

through active minefields left from the war, only to be caught by Croatian police. Oftentimes

they are beaten and robbed before being pushed back into Bosnia–in direct conflict with

European Union laws that are supposed to protect refugees.

Eventually, these situations, which I witnessed for ten days on the Bosnian/Croatian border

become normalized, an expected outcome, a discomfort we can ignore. We too easily forget the

trauma and the pain that has led this portion of humanity to this awful place.