Refugees

There are more than a Balkan route

The Visegrád States want Macedonia in the closure of the border to help Greece. Alternative migration routes through the Balkans already exist: A tough decision for refugees.

Most of the refugees to reach Europe via the Balkan route. But more and more EU countries want the influx of more channeling, or even stop. An informal “coalition of the willing” was discussed for the summer of 2015, the Plan, the refugees directly from Turkey to the EU member States to redistribute. Currently advising Germany, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia and France about it.

On border closures are having, however, is the so-called Visegrád group: Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia are committed to the border between Greece and the Balkan countries, abzuriegeln. You want the affected Balkan countries, with staff support.

Despite the cold and the troubled sea of this year are already nearly 80,000 people from Turkey to the Greek Islands a few hundred km. When spring comes, should this number increase again in the peak in last October and November, there were 10,000 people on the day. Where you will be lucky if Macedonia its southern boundary weakest point and the most used Route locks?

The main route through Macedonia

Currently Macedonia its border fence with Greece finished: double row, razor-sharp, approximately 2.5 metres high, a gift from Hungary, the fences have a lot of experience. It should be 37 kilometres in the valley of the Vardar river to be closed, it is from Skopje, this is the “critical area”. This one also relies on the nature, because further to the East and to the West the Terrain becomes increasingly difficult to pass through the karstic mountains and large lakes make it difficult to cross the border. There are patrolling in addition, the border guards of the Visegrád countries, together with Macedonian colleagues.

Since November will be on the “Balkan route” only people from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are allowed to pass. They are regarded as war refugees. Many others – mainly North Africans from the Maghreb countries – try the Macedonian border guards with a fake permit to travel to deceive or the green border illegally to cross, partly with the aid of
paid haulers.

But also the “approved” refugees must always be longer
at Greek petrol stations, and in Camps endure – Macedonia can be a maximum of 2,000 refugees per day. The end of January, introduced Stop-and-Go is often “limited admission and transportation” the next countries on the Route: Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.

The Route through Bulgaria

Approximately nine percent of passers-by in Serbia came last summer, not from Macedonia, but from Bulgaria. The reported the Serbian newspaper Večernje novosti, citing the Hilfszentrum for asylum seekers, a Belgrade-based non-governmental organization. Extrapolated, this would mean: tens of thousands are already over Bulgaria gen Western Europe are drawn.

If you look on the map, this Route inviting: Bulgaria and Turkey share a 240-kilometre long land border, the Bulgarian side is currently only partly with a fence is closed. On the way to Istanbul and the Turkish border town of Edirne spared the migrants also make the perilous journey across the Aegean sea, and about 1200 dollars for haulers to be paid.

But Knowledgeable the Route as problematic. Has long
the brutality of the word with the Bulgarian police for the refugees encounter. The criticism of these incidents comes from human rights organisations like Pro Asyl. In some Internet guides for refugees occupied Bulgaria # 1 on the list of countries that you should avoid.

Also DW-reporters have several refugees met by a Beating, humiliations and rape by Bulgarian security forces reported. In October
shot a policeman, an Afghan refugee at the border to Turkey. Tractor try here, the police to smear, to refugees into the country. In November, wrote the Wall Street Journal, every day would 500 people after Serbia routed. The price: the equivalent of up to $ 2,700.

The Ostbalkanroute

Romania has so far been much less refugees seen as its neighbouring countries, but even more creative ways of illegal border crossings. In January were 60 people from Pakistan, Iraq, Morocco, Afghanistan, Somalia and arrested as they from Serbia are coming with night-vision goggles-equipped – the border crossed. Since last June, hundreds of migrants are picked up from Bulgaria about the two huge Danube bridges, or, less often, with boats arriving wanted.

In 2014, there were two Attempts, across the Black sea directly from Turkey to Romania. In the last time to notify the authorities, more and more refugees from the Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova to arrive – usually Afghans, the Central Asia as a transit route to choose. The next destination of the refugees would be Hungary.

But Budapest would like this Route to put an end to and has repeatedly announced, a border fence to Romania to set up. It would be the largest construction of this kind, the government of Viktor Orbán in order there. Because with 443 kilometers (km) is the border to Romania, much longer than the previously abgeriegelte to Serbia (151 km) and Croatia (329 km).

The Adriaroute

“New routes through Albania are already opened. From there, it continues through Montenegro and Croatia, which we defeat.” The said end of January, Ranko Ostojić, the outgoing Minister of the interior of Croatia. So he was the first Official, of the Adriaroute mentioned. Up to then it had more speculation: “In the Winter, we expect a new direction, it is about the Mediterranean and Montenegro go,” predicted in September about the Croatian Migrationsexperte Anđelko Milardović compared to the newspaper Jutarnji list.

The explanation: On the coast, is noticeably warmer than in the heart of the Balkans. However, a few boundaries to cross, except for Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia also Bosnia and Hercegovina Adriatic sea of the Riparian.

So far, however, hardly anyone deciding for this path. This was confirmed at the weekend the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, in the DW-Interview. “But we have all of our Landesstrukturen prepared, there should be a change in the main route,” he said. As a responsible candidate to join the EU would be in Brussels agreed on refugee policy to enforce. But what is a policy? That said Đukanović not.

Route via Kosovo?

When the refugees eventually really to Macedonia over need, would also be on the way to Albania and Kosovo
further to Serbia possible. Because Serbia recognizes the eight years ago declared independence of Kosovo is still not on. For this reason, it would be the Serbian political Elite is difficult to the boundary of the former southern province of visible control. This is anyway not limit, but merely the “administrative line”, it maintains in Belgrade to claim. Under the expert applies the Route but as little likely.

What is the escape route in the future is significant, can not be predicted. Influence on the stock the Meeting of the Visegrád group and the subsequent EU summit. Here effort the government is again a common refugee policy.