Ljubljana: Slovenia intercepted almost twice as many people crossing its border irregularly last year compared to 2022, with most of them coming from new Schengen member Croatia, according to police statistics seen Friday.
Slovenia re-introduced checks along its borders in October, following similar moves by other EU countries, amid a surge in crossings.
Neighbouring Croatia, which has one of the EU’s longest land borders, has long been a magnet for undocumented asylum seekers and migrants hoping to enter the bloc.
Joining the visa-free Schengen zone last year, it has registered 40 percent more irregular crossings in 2023 year-on-year, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said in late December.
Slovenia intercepted 60,587 people in 2023, up from 32,024 people in 2022, police said on their website.
The largest groups were from Afghanistan, Morocco and Pakistan.
Almost all of them, 96 percent, entered from Croatia, marking a 84 percent increase of illegal migration across the Croatian border, police said.
Irregular border crossings have also been rising elsewhere in the European Union.
Last month, the bloc agreed to an overhaul of its asylum system that includes more border detention centers and speedier deportations.
While EU governments hailed the preliminary accord as “historic,” migrant and refugee charities have slammed the changes as dangerous.
