Tim za socijalno uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva

In all, 40,000 illegal border crossings were recorded at the borders of the Western Balkan countries with the EU in 2013. This is 27% higher than in the previous year, as shown by the report of the European Agency for Border Control (Frontex). Of these, 50% of irregular migrants were regostered on the border between Hungary and Serbia and this trend is explained by relaxing the asylum procedures in Hungary. Last year, the number of citizens from the region who attempted to cross the border illlegally increased for the first time since 2009, primarily among the citizens of Albania and Kosovo.

The situation with respect to abuse of the visa-free regime in the Western Balkan countries has not changed significantly sice 2013 as compared to 2012 and the share of Serbian nationals in the total number of asylum seekers amounted to 45%.

The  Frontex Annual Risk Analysis on the Western Balkans for 2014 states that the Western Balkan countries and the neighbouring EU Member States continued implementing a series of measures to prevent abuse of the visa-free regime and that the majority of their citizens is not abusing this benefit.

Source: EurActiv.rs