Slovenia faces enormous growth in the number of illegal migrants

(Patria) - The number of apprehended illegal migrants in Slovenia doubled in 2023, as migratory pressure increased across Europe, reports AFP.

According to Slovenian police statistics, 60,587 people entered the small Alpine country in 2023, compared to 32,024 people the previous year, an increase of 89 percent.

They mostly come from the territory of Croatia, which became part of the Schengen area a year ago, Hina reports.

Around 30 percent of the migrants are Afghans, 15 percent Moroccans, and nine percent Pakistanis. The number of Russian citizens doubled from 1,816 to 3,675.

Almost all expressed a desire to apply for asylum in Slovenia before continuing their journey towards Western and Northern Europe.

Due to the large influx of migrants, Slovenia introduced border controls in October, following the example of other EU countries.

Police are also recording increasingly frequent attempts by illegal migrants to cross from Slovenia into Austria via remote mountain passes.