In northern Greece, not far from the Greek-Macedonian border, the Nea Kavala migrant camp houses 1,200 people. It is one of the largest in the region. Isolated, not served by public transport, and now surrounded by a huge concrete wall, the camp is an "open-air prison" for its occupants.
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.
Police and border forces from North Macedonia and Slovenia conducted two operations on Friday in which they found a total of 82 migrants hidden in various vehicles.
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.
Police in North Macedonia have arrested 10 men suspected of migrant smuggling. Migrants are regularly found crammed into trucks and cars heading through the region en route to western Europe.
Five men are accused of running a smuggling ring in North Macedonia and have been arrested. Police suspect them of having smuggled at least 100 migrants over the border from Greece towards Serbia.
The world is growing less accepting of migrants, according to a global survey. The Gallup poll also found that attitudes towards migrants in several European countries are the most negative.
Serbia is reportedly constructing a barbed-wire fence at its border with North Macedonia. Authorities in Belgrade have not yet commented on the issue.
In yet another discovery of migrant smuggling in North Macedonia, nearly 150 people were found squeezed into two separate trucks. That's according to police, which earlier said they detained a total of 567 migrants trying to transit North Macedonia without papers in July alone.
Almost 100 migrants were found squeezed into a truck in North Macedonia. In an unrelated incident, 34 migrants were also discovered inside a truck in Poland.
Police in North Macedonia said 11 migrants sustained serious injuries in a car accident that happened Sunday near the town of Shtip. It’s the third migrant car accident the country has reported in one week.
Croatia announced its willingness to accommodate unaccompanied minors "who are currently living in an inhumane situation in Greek refugee camps." North Macedonia and Serbia, meanwhile, said they are ready to close their borders.