The European Commission has proposed a new aid package worth over €39 million to increase border controls and 'migration management.' They also want to send Frontex officials to non-EU borders in the Balkans.
A Bangladeshi man has died trying to reach France from Greece via the 'Balkan route'. Human smugglers reportedly left the deceased man's body in a hilly area near the Albania-Montenegro border.
An EU report assessing whether Western Balkan countries continue to meet requirements for visa liberalization showed that despite a drop in illegal crossings, improvement is needed in migration management.
A new report has placed a spotlight on the migrant smuggling business and other illicit activities running through the Western Balkans, including drugs and money laundering. The report estimates that the migrant smuggling business alone could be worth up to €50 million per year in the region.
On Saturday, October 17, the Montenegrin coastguard told local radio that they had intercepted 52 migrants “with Turkish citizenship” on their way to Italy.
Hundreds of Bosnians took to the streets Sunday to protest against potential security and health risks posed by migrants sleeping rough in the western town of Bihac. While Bosnia was mostly spared from the migrant crisis of 2015, locals are not happy that they must care for migrants now.
Bosnian authorities have decided to tighten border control in the east of the country to halt migrant arrivals from Serbia and Montenegro, deploying more border police officers.
Authorities in Bosnia said more than a thousand irregular migrants have entered the country since the start of the year. They said arrivals are expected to increase significantly in the spring.
The European Union has signed an agreement with Montenegro for border management of migrant flows in the Balkans area.
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) has granted Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities 1 million euros for setting up a migrant reception/transit facility in a former military barracks near the capital Sarajevo. Deputy Minister for Security Samir Rizvo said there had been no problems with the local authorities in regards to building the center.
In recent days, 38 people have been arrested trying to cross into Albania. Authorities say more migrants are looking for alternative routes to get to Europe, as other countries close their borders.
A new migrant route has sprung up in the Balkans, and local governments are attempting to stem the flow. Governments in the region want to collaborate more in order to prevent another crisis.