Illegal crossings in Western Balkan region change pattern

Illegal crossings in the Western Balkan region are now more numerous through Serbia, Romania, Hungary and Austria. Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia are not the first choices, said Zoran Ničeno, head of the Border Administration from the interior ministry.

On 18 November, after a regional meeting in Sarajevo, Ničeno, for the first time, reported that the Western Balkan’s route has slightly reduced and has been redirected via Romania to Hungary and Austria, or via Serbia to Hungary.

Compared to last year, in which a lower number of migrants were recorded due to the pandemic, in the first 11 months of this year, about 16,000 illegal border crossings were registered, a 40% drop.

According to Ničeno, one of the reasons behind the rerouting is the protection of Croatian borders, so it is logical migrants are going where it is easier for them.

Cooperation with BiH and other regional border policies also played an important role.

Croatian police, during the weekend, found a body of a 10-year-old girl who disappeared in the River Dragonja on Thursday night as a group of migrants attempted to cross the Croatian-Slovenian border while a Turkish woman, the mother of the missing girl, was rescued from the river.

(Željko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr)