Van suspected of smuggling Syrians crashes in Croatia
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A van carrying Syrian nationals crashed on Monday into a streetlamp in Croatia injuring 14 people, including seven young children, in an operation aimed at smuggling people into Western Europe.
The Croatian newspaper 24sata reported that the vehicle was trying to escape from police near the Bosnia-Herzegovina border when it crashed.
Authorities suspect the passengers were part of a human trafficking operation aimed at smuggling them into Western Europe.
The police, monitoring irregular immigration into Croatia, stopped the van with Swiss plates around 03:00 AM due to overloading. The driver tried to flee but was later arrested.
The “Balkan Route” is a popular path for immigrants, especially those from Syria and Afghanistan, as they travel through countries like Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia to reach the European Union (EU).
The EU border agency Frontex said that the Central Mediterranean, Western Balkan, and Eastern Mediterranean are the three most popular immigration routes, mostly used by Syrians, Afghans, and Tunisians.
Frontex, however, observed a decrease in the number of people arriving via the Western Balkan route, with figures falling from 144,197 in 2022 to 99,068 in 2023, a decline of an approximately 31 percent.