Bosnia and Herzegovina says 6,000 irregular migrants denied entry in 2022

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – At least 6,000 irregular migrants were prevented from entering Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022, authorities said on Friday.

“The largest number of migrants were citizens of Afghanistan, Burundi, and Pakistan,” the Bosnia and Herzegovina Border Police said in a statement.

“There has been a certain decrease in the number of citizens of Pakistan, who were previously at the very top,” it added.

Most attempts to enter the country were on the eastern borders, from the direction of Serbia and Montenegro, the Border Police said.

There were also frequent attempts to smuggle in migrants, including by hiding them in trucks or trailers.

Some 180 migrants tried to enter the country illegally in the first 11 days of 2023, the statement said.

Since the beginning of 2018, Bosnia and Herzegovina has faced a heavy influx of migrants looking to cross over to other EU states.