Number of migrants on Balkan route doubled, smugglers returning migrants from BiH to Serbia

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and Hungarian officials have warned that during 2019 the number of illegal border crossings on the so-called Balkan route, which also passes through Serbia, doubled compared to 2018. 

According to the Balkan Security Network (www.balkansec.net), national security advisor to the Hungarian Prime Minister, György Bakondi, presented data that the number of attempted illegal crossings from the Balkans into that country during 2019 reached 13,000, which is double the number compared to the previous year. 

"In addition to the border with Serbia, we have noticed increased activities on the borders with Croatia and Romania," Bakondi said, adding that smuggling groups have started returning migrants from BiH to Serbia, after Zagreb tightened control of its borders, with financial assistance from the European Union. 

Budapest estimates that there are currently around 98,000 migrants in the Western Balkans, characterizing this as a "risk for Central Europe." 

"The latest Frontex report confirms that the number of illegal entries on the Western Balkan route doubled compared to 2018. According to that agency, two-thirds of this year's migrant wave into Europe comes from the direction of Turkey. Every third migrant is from Afghanistan, and a quarter are nationals of Syria," the portal adds.