ZAGREB, October 11, 2018 – A total of 4,808 illegal migrants were registered in Croatia in 2017, up 6.9% on the year, but this year, through September 30, the increase in comparison with 2017 was 31%, it was said at a cabinet session on Thursday at which ministers adopted a report on the implementation of the integrated border management strategy for 2017.
The most numerous illegal migrants last year were Afghans (965), making up 30% of all migrants who illegally crossed the border, said Žarko Katić, state secretary at the Interior Ministry. Kosovo citizens were second and Turkish citizens third.
The most frequent method of illegally crossing the border is on foot, by avoiding border control, hiding in motor vehicles or trains’ freight cars. “Traffickers also play a significant role and the number of unlawful transports across the state border rose by as much as 57%,” said Katić.
A new migrant route across Bosnia and Herzegovina was opened last year, first and foremost due to the good protection of the Croatia-Serbia and the Croatia-Montenegro border, he added.
“Croatia is reacting promptly to all the changes that are occurring, strengthening its administrative and technical capacities in controlling the state border, i.e. the external EU border, and cooperating well with the neighbouring countries in exchanging data,” said Katić.
