Bosnian police have blocked some 200 migrants from reaching the border with neighbouring Croatia, which is a member of the European Union.

The migrants marched Monday from the northwestern town of Velika Kladusa toward Croatia in protest that the border remains closed for people trying to reach Western Europe. They turned back after spending a few hours near the Maljevac border crossing.

Also Monday, another group of 89 migrants, including children, left a camp in the town of Cazin, apparently to march toward another border crossing.

Thousands of migrants are staying in northwestern Bosnia while trying to reach wealthy EU nations. Local residents held protests last weekend in the town of Bihac over the rising number of migrants in the town.

Migrants have turned to war-ravaged Bosnia to avoid more heavily guarded routes in the Balkans.