Asylum Protection Center chief warns of rise in illegal migration

Djurovic told Belgrade-based Beta news agency that Serbia faces more challenges with illegal migrants this year unless Turkiye reaches an agreement with the EU on a program of support. Unless that happens, the arrival of large numbers of people in the Balkans can be expected realistically, he said, adding that Serbia can’t implement re-admission of migrants to Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

According to him, the extreme increase in people smuggling was “the direct consequence of push backs” from the border with Hungary and other European Union member states back into Serbia. “After being pushed back into Serbia, the migrants were forced to hire smugglers to help them cross the border… Some of those people were pushed back several times,” he said.

The ACP chief said that the smuggling of people across borders is a very lucrative business which led to smuggler groups growing stronger. He recalled armed clashes in northern Serbia.

Djurovic said that some of the measures introduced by the European Union to slow down illegal migrations are in place in Serbia.