Croatia has called on the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, to strengthen its presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović expressed this position during a meeting of the interior ministers of Croatia, Italy and Slovenia in the Italian city of Pordenone.
Focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s western border
According to Božinović, more than 95% of migrants using the so-called Western Balkans route to enter Croatia arrive from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He noted that Frontex is already deploying certain activities in the country, mainly on its eastern border, but for Zagreb, the western border is of particular importance, as this is where migrants most often attempt to enter Croatia illegally.
As Balkan Insight reports, Božinović said that the agency’s future mission should strengthen the capacities of countries through which migrants travel to the European Union, as well as improve procedures for returning them to their countries of origin. In his view, Frontex, with its substantial budget, could contribute more effectively to returning people detained while irregularly crossing EU borders.
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Joint patrols and border-crossing data
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said that the cooperation of the three countries had yielded positive results: during the first eight months of the year, the number of irregular border crossings fell by 28%. Božinović also reported a further decline in irregular migration along the Western Balkans route, while emphasizing that the route remains active and requires constant monitoring.
Croatia, Italy and Slovenia will continue trilateral border patrols, including to counter migrant smugglers. According to Božinović, 842 such smugglers have been detained since the beginning of the year, while the number of prevented attempts to enter the EU illegally was nearly 25% higher than last year. The meeting participants also confirmed their readiness to exchange information, conduct joint operations and coordinate responses to security challenges.
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