People Smuggling Gangs Clash at Hungary Border + videos

Serbian police are taking strong action against illegal migration.

Following that incident, the presence of Serbian special units along the southern side of Hungary's border fence became permanent.

According to information released by the interior ministry, their employees recently identified a total of 165 illegal migrants in Pirot, along the Bulgarian border, as well as in the areas of Kikinda, Subotica and Zombor in northern Vojvodina. Police searched ten facilities and 7372 vehicles, and 33 people were charged with various immigration offences. In addition, four persons were charged with illegal crossing of a state border and on suspicion of involvement in human smuggling.

As we have highlighted in our earlier pieces, during the operations Serbian police found weapons, bullets and drugs in the makeshift forest camps used by illegal migrants.

Police continue their operation

In the coming days, police will step up their effort and involve all police forces in the implementation of this particular operation in order to curb illegal migration, they said in a statement. Their goal is to increase security so that locals feel even safer. 

According to Magyar Nemzet's local correspondent, the number of migrants in and around Subotica has also significantly decreased. Whereas in the past locals could encounter illegal migrants anywhere on the streets, they can hardly see any migrants these days. Despite this, however, they remain uneasy, expressing concerns that the calm is only temporary and that migrants may return once authorities reduce the scope of the crackdown.

According to the leader of the North Bačka district, the police operation has been a sweeping success as there are no more migrants in Subotica. The city's reception center in now empty. Bojan Soralov posted a photo of the derelict building on Facebook, saying: 

After the latest shoot-out between migrants in the Horgos region, Serbia - under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vucic - reacted in a firm and organized manner to the brutal violation of the laws of the Republic of Serbia and the threat to people's safety by illegal migrants in the North Bačka region. In the last nine days, the special forces of Serbia's interior ministry have conducted 24-hour daily patrols in Subotica, focusing mostly on its wooded areas. The effort has led to the arrest of smugglers, the evacuation of all migrants from the city, and has left Subotica’s reception center completely vacant for the fifth consecutive day.

Subotica is now a city that’s off-limits to migrants, Mr Soralov added.

Cover photo: Serb authorities in action against migration (Source: Serbia’s Interior Ministry)