Their shoulders hunched against the bitter cold, dozens of migrants tramped towards Bosnia's border with Croatia, trying to cross illegally into the EU along a route that days earlier almost claimed the lives of a similar group.

About 30 men, women and children, some dressed only in tracksuits, were late on Wednesday following a snow-covered route established by smugglers.

In an area frequented by wolves and bears, it takes them to the foot of the Pljesevica mountain from where they are directed to walk several kilometers through thick pine forest to a border crossing not monitored by Croatian police.