According to Croatian authorities on Monday, the group was discovered near the village of Donje Prilisce, about 70 kilometres southwest of the capital, Zagreb.
Four migrants have been found dead near the Slovenian border, while two others are in serious condition after being transported in what Croatian police described as “inhumane conditions.”
According to Croatian authorities on Monday, the group was discovered near the village of Donje Prilisce, about 70 kilometres southwest of the capital, Zagreb.
Thirteen additional migrants were also found in the area and taken to a detention centre.
Police said the group was allegedly dropped at the border by an unidentified smuggler who fled the scene.
The cause of death has not yet been determined, and investigations are ongoing.
Croatia, an EU member state, is a key transit country along the Balkan migration route used by people attempting to reach Western Europe.
Earlier this year, a Chinese migrant died after a boat carrying migrants capsized while crossing a river from Bosnia into Croatia.
Last month, 30 migrants were also rescued from a marsh in the same border region.
Data from the European border agency Frontex shows that more than 12,500 people used the Balkan route in 2025.
Since 2014, over 400 deaths or disappearances have been recorded along the route, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM says migrants on this route often face strict border enforcement, forcing many into dangerous journeys through harsh and unsafe terrain in attempts to avoid detection.
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