Serbia to patrol borders to stem influx of migrants: PM
Xinhua, July 16, 2016 Adjust font size:
Serbia will send troops and police officers to patrol its borders to prevent illegal entry of migrants and human smugglers, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said Saturday.
"We are in a situation in which people from Afghanistan and Pakistan do not have a chance to be received in the European Union (EU), but have managed to reach EU borders through our territory," Vucic said at a press conference.
"Serbia is forced to protect its national and state interests, and because of this we have proposed these measures," he said, adding the proposal to introduce new patrols will become legally binding after a government meeting scheduled for Sunday.
He said migrants will be denied entry while smugglers will be punished.
"Serbia cannot become a parking place for Afghans and Pakistanis whom no one in Europe would accept," he said.
He said Serbia expects help from its northern neighbor Hungary in protecting its southern and southeastern borders with Macedonia and Bulgaria, through which many migrants enter Serbia on a daily basis.
About 2,700 migrants, mostly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, are now stranded in Serbia, according to Vucic. Enditem