Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has told a hearing of the joint committees of foreign affairs of the Lower House and foreign affairs and defence of the Senate that the Western Balkans are key for the migration.
Prague reported a significant rise in irregular migrants in 2022, with the vast majority coming from Syria. Most migrants, however, continued their journey to Western European countries to seek asylum.
Almost half of the 2022 irregular border crossings were made overland through the Western Balkans region, EU border agency Frontex said. The preliminary figures do not include Ukrainian refugees.
Hani helps hundreds of migrants from the Middle East who cross the border from Greece into North Macedonia on their way to Serbia. The Iranian, a former migrant himself, is volunteering with the Red Cross of North Macedonia. He assists migrants every day with food, water and medical supplies, because he knows what it's like to have no one by your side on such a dangerous journey.
The number of migrants entering the EU irregularly has continued to rise, according to the border agency Frontex. The largest number -- around 140,000 -- traveled through the Western Balkans.
The International Rescue Commmittee (IRC) has called for more humanitarian assistance and safe accommodation for all those fleeing war and persecution as winter approaches.
A police operation following a shooting incident uncovered around 600 migrants near the border with Hungary, including weapons. Some 1,000 people had to be taken to safety.
New barbed wire fences are being erected across Europe’s eastern borders. Many of these barriers are between the EU and Russia or Russian-friendly states like Belarus, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But they also stop migrants and asylum seekers from entering the bloc.
More than 100,000 people have entered the European Union via the western Balkans without documentation this year. The Obrenovac camp near Serbia's capital, Belgrade, has become a transit point for migrants from around the world, some of whom have spent years on the road.
Serbia's capital Belgrade serves as a layover for many migrants on the Balkan route. However, the hundreds of Syrian, Afghan or Moroccan migrants passing through every day only have two accommodation options: an overcrowded and remote camp, or the streets and parks of the city.
Federal Police have searched five apartments in the southern German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, resulting in the arrest of two suspected smugglers. More than 90 police officers were deployed during the operation in total.
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.