The number of migrants entering the European Union illegally via the Western Balkans has almost doubled this year, the EU border agency Frontex said.
According to their data, from January to July, it was discovered that 22,600 migrants entered the EU through the Western Balkans, which is a 90 percent increase compared to the same period in 2020. Reuters writes that most of those migrants come from Syria and Afghanistan.
In July, the number of illegal migrants increased by 67 percent compared to the same month a year ago, Frontex said in a statement.
Many EU member states are nervous about developments in Afghanistan, where militant Taliban are rapidly occupying territory and forcing people to flee. They are worried that this could cause another migration crisis in Europe.
At the same time, the chaotic arrival of more than a million people from the Middle East and Afghanistan has a significant negative impact on security and social systems and encourages support for far-right political groups.
