Serbia efficient in stopping migrant smugglers: minister

Serbia is engaged in a "serious and determined struggle" against those who wish to profit from smuggling migrants into its territory, social affairs minister Aleksandar Vulin said on Thursday.

In the past year, charges have been laid against around 1,000 people for participating in the criminal activity of smuggling migrants, Vulin said in the town of Knjazevac near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria.

"Serbia is ahead of all other countries on the migration route when it comes to this issue," said Vulin, who is also the president of the country's working group in charge of migrations. He mentioned that numerous vehicles intended for smuggling were confiscated, while many smugglers were recognized and arrested.

He explained that around 600,000 migrants from Syria, the Middle East, and Africa passed into Serbia last year, and that police were controlling the border in the best possible way.

He said smuggling activities usually tended to intensify when "some countries stop or decrease the inflow of migrants or make restrictions in categories of migrants that are allowed to enter" because they look for new ways to overcome these bans and restrictions and continue their journey towards the EU.

The inflow of migrants to Serbia, which reached several thousand people per day during summer months last year, has almost stopped since the beginning of winter, but Serbian authorities estimate it will escalate again in the spring. Endit