Indians came on the Balkan migration route – those looking for a better life try to EU countries through Serbia

This year, Europe’s attention has been focused on the millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war. But people from Africa, the Middle East and Asia are also knocking on the doors of the continent and the European Union.

Traffic on the stage road called the “Balkan route” is recovering. Its hub is Serbia, where immigrants from India have also found their way recently.

These had tried to continue the journey to the European Union – only to find that the Hungarian and Romanian borders were closed.

In the winter, of the more than five hundred residents of the center managed by the Serbian Refugee Agency, one hundred were from India, most of the others from Bangladesh.

– Indians have started coming in the last few months. This is a new trend, said the camp official Andrei Marcenko In an interview with Deutsche Welle.

The camp’s favorite game tells about the background of those who came to Serbia: South Asians focus on cricket in their free time.

For Indians, Serbia is an attractive stepping stone to Europe. A visa is not required at all, or one is arranged for those moving after work.

Honorary President of the Serbian Employers’ Association Nebojša Atanacković says that foreigners are needed because their own employees are moving out of the country.

In Serbia, the share of migrant workers is poor. BBC Serbian language service (you will switch to another service) reported in 2020 that migrant workers housed in cramped containers had gone on hunger strike to get their pay and a ride home. This can also make people continue their journey towards Western Europe.

According to Le Monde magazine, the center of Subotica has been as full during the summer as it was at the height of the refugee crisis in 2015.

There are more than three hundred residents, even if there is only half of this space. Many of the Indians are Sikhs from the state of Amritsar.

– I used to drive a taxi, but I do better in Europe, says the 28-year-old Juraj Singh In an interview with Le Monde.

Singh and his turban-wearing companion believe they have a chance to get asylum in Europe because of the oppression they experienced among India’s Hindu majority.

Usually, the movement has been started in the hope of a better life. No work has been found in Finland or, for example, medical expenses have led to a spiral of debt.

However, the reception at the Hungarian border is rude. Migrants interviewed by Deutsche Welle in the winter talked about the hardships: those who came to the border were turned back in freezing weather.

– The European police do not respect us, complains one migrant according to Deutsche Welle. – They took off our turbans during the inspection, and grabbed our beards.

Those stuck in Serbia try to continue their journey also through Hungary. They try to get there with dark taxis and with the guidance of smugglers – which costs thousands of euros.

To cross the fence, you can rent a ladder for hundreds or even thousands of euros, reports Le Monde. Recently, the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban threatened that in order to make crossing more difficult, the four-meter-high fence will be raised by a meter.

Because of the Hungarian fence, forest camps called “jungles” have sprung up near the border in Serbia

– There are always more people, Varga describes the situation in Serbia according to Le Monde.

– Clashes arise between smugglers in traffic jams, he continues.

Garbage and waste are scattered from the informal camps, which irritates the local farmers. A peasant driving a tractor Zoltan says that he also found abandoned firearms in the terrain.

– In 2015, migrants passed through the area, but now the camps are destroying our fields, complains Zoltan.

– This is fine for Hungary, but we are in trouble, he continues.

According to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, the “Balkan route” is now the busiest route to Europe. Its use has tripled compared to last year: 70,000 passengers have already been counted on the route this year.

In 2015–2016, almost a million people arrived via the same route.

Despite the fence built by Hungary and other obstacles, the migrants consider the passage through Serbia to be a better option than the dangerous Mediterranean.

One route runs through Bosnia-Herzegovina towards Croatia. But the journey of those who try this route is often blocked.

One (INTERVIEW WITH LE MONDEN OR ANYTHING) the Indian says that the Croatian police turned him back to Bosnia twice.

However, the secret paths through the forests and mountains during the Bosnian war are still in use. Despite all the obstacles and difficulties, others somehow manage to continue their journey. Many of them end up in Vienna.

According to Le Monde magazine, 42,000 residence permit applications have already been submitted in Austria this year. This is the largest number since the 2015 refugee crisis.

In June, more Indians arrived in Austria than other nationalities – despite the fact that no one from India has been granted asylum.

Throughout the year, Indians make up the fifth largest group of arrivals in Austria.

At the end of August, the Austrian Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner warned that Austria is at the limits of its absorption capacity.

The country has demanded Serbia to tighten the possibility of Indians entering the country.

However, the revitalization of the “Balkan route” suggests that, after the relaxation of travel restrictions during the corona pandemic, more migrants and asylum seekers are heading to Western Europe again than in recent years.

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