New migrant routes are emerging on the Balkans

New migrant routes are emerging on the Balkans, says Austrian Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil in an interview with German daily "Die Welt".

کد خبر: ۷۳۱۸۶۸

تاریخ: ۲۹ شهريور ۱۳۹۶ - ۱۱:۳۹

"We have information that new routes have started to emerge lately on the Balkans", he says and adds this has occurred after Hungary and Macedonia "significantly enhanced measures for protection of EU's outer borders".

According to him, "many refugees are trying to reach Europe's north through Slovakia, choosing the route through Romania or Bulgaria".

Doskozil believes it is necessary to create centres in African countries such as Mali or Niger, where asylum applications for European countries would be reviewed. Such centres could be guarded by EU armies in coordination with the United Nations.

He says that almost 20,000 new migrants arrived in Austria in 2017, of whom 12,000 applied for asylum.

Austrian authorities say about 8,000 asylum seekers arrived through the Balkans.