(ANSAmed) - LJUBLJANA, MAY 31 - Slovenia is not satisfied
about the situation of the migrant route in the Balkans and that
is why it is necessary that all countries in the region, the
European Commission and Frontex work to do more, the secretary
of State of the interior ministry, Botjan efic, told the STA
news agency. He stressed that the growing number of migrants
were arriving from Turkey through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia,
Croatia and Slovenia to reach western Europe. And a new route
appears to have opened from Greece through Albania, Montenegro
and Bosnia, a journey which European border agency Frontex
should watch more closely, said efic.
Although Slovenia is not the main country of destination,
many migrants apply for asylum in the country, the first State
in the Schengen area along the route. One of the problems is
that Serbia has introduced the liberalization of visas with Iran
and some African countries: ''This means that these people are
entering Serbia in a completely legal way'', continued efic. He
believes that some 2,000 people did not travel back to Iran at
the end of April. A similar journey is also possible from Turkey
to Bosnia.
At the moment, Slovenia has registered 50 attempts to enter each day, a number that efic has criticized, announcing the construction of new ''temporary technical barriers'' in some border areas, mainly in the area of the Kolpa, the river along the natural border between Slovenia and Croatia, to dissuade migrants from crossing after a few died as they attempted to reach the country.
''We have boosted controls at border crossings because illegal migrants are found on trucks and trains and we give space to measures to compensate inside the country'', he said, in order to fight migrant smuggling networks. The secretary of State stressed that barriers alone can't solve the problem, which requires joint supervision at a regional level. (ANSAmed)
At the moment, Slovenia has registered 50 attempts to enter each day, a number that efic has criticized, announcing the construction of new ''temporary technical barriers'' in some border areas, mainly in the area of the Kolpa, the river along the natural border between Slovenia and Croatia, to dissuade migrants from crossing after a few died as they attempted to reach the country.
''We have boosted controls at border crossings because illegal migrants are found on trucks and trains and we give space to measures to compensate inside the country'', he said, in order to fight migrant smuggling networks. The secretary of State stressed that barriers alone can't solve the problem, which requires joint supervision at a regional level. (ANSAmed)
