Syrian migrants cross German border in suspected smuggler's van
German Federal Police discovered eight Syrians, including a four-year-old child, in a van on Monday. The van was stopped near the A93 motorway, not far from the Austrian border.
German Federal Police discovered eight Syrians, including a four-year-old child, in a van on Monday. The van was stopped near the A93 motorway, not far from the Austrian border.
Joint efforts to tackle irregular migration - in particular along the Balkan route - was one of the central themes discussed by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during a visit to Croatia and Slovenia last week.
NGOs working on the Balkan route compare the idea of setting up defensive walls against migrants to Brexit, a decision that brought back to Europe the concept of borders. A wall is not sufficient to stop the flow of migrants, just like water finds its way, they said.
Croatia will join the unrestricted movement arrangement from January 1. However, an EU official confirmed the bids from Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen Area have been blocked.
A new European investigative journalism report alleges that migrants are being "abitrarily detained and tortured at secret facilities along EU borders before being illegally forced back across [those] borders."
Children hoping to reach Western Europe via the Balkans are frequently subjected to violence, according to a new report published by the NGO Save The Children. Border police and smugglers are the most common perpetrators, but not the only ones.
Slovenian police have detained a Syrian national, alleged to have transported 17 migrants using irregular means. The foreign minister meanwhile announced that Slovenia would start to tear down a razor wire fortification on its border with Croatia.
The plight of Ukrainian refugees has captured the world's attention. Meanwhile, the struggles of millions of refugees from other countries have faded from view. How are they faring? A look at the Balkans.
Slovenia has announced that it will be taking down its border fence on the Croatian border by the end of the year. The Interior Ministry confirmed the plan to the news agency STA.
Sayem, a Bangladeshi migrant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told InfoMigrants that he was mistreated by Croatian border police. Investigative outlets have documented many similar testimonies in recent years.
The Kikinda camp in Serbia is home to around 550 migrants, including around 100 from India. One of them is Kumar, who cooks Biryani for his fellow South Asians.
Migrants in the Balkans are reportedly exploring new routes to enter the EU, as the number of irregular border crossings from the Una-Sana Canton in the west of Bosnia and Herzegovina into Croatia has been decreasing.