"70 percent of migrants take Western Balkans route"

70 percent of refugees are using the land route through the Western Balkan, says Minister without Portfolio in charge of EU integration Jadranka Joksimovic.
Source: Beta Friday, July 31, 2015 | 10:57

(Beta, file)

She was referring to migrants from third countries who are passing through the Balkans in their bid to reach EU countries.
According to Joksimovic, the European Union is already helping Serbia to solve "the problem of migrations."

The minister told Serbia's state television RTS that the EU has "recognized the Western Balkans route" and that a conference on the top level will be organized in Budapest in September "where mechanisms of financial support will be crystallized."

She said that Serbia already received from EU pre-accession funds some EUR 2.5 million for the One-Stop Center in Presevo, and another 6 million for "persons from the process of readmission who are returning to Serbia."

Joksimovic added that Serbia asked for more funds to secure its borders and that the EU approved "EUR 2.5 to 3 million" for border control.

"Serbia has shown itself to be a responsible partner of the EU, but at the same time we are also fulfuling all those humanitarian standards, for our own sake" - said the minister.