Migrants' pressure on Croatia's border has lessened recently, and in the first half of 2021 the police registered 7,434 illegal crossings, which was 11.2% less than in the corresponding period of 2020 when there were 8,374 such cases, the Jutarnji List (JL) daily reported on Saturday.

Similar developments were registered in Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and according to the daily newspaper more and more migrants opted in the recent period for the routes across Serbia and Hungary and further towards other EU member-states.

In the first half of 2021, attempts to illegally cross into Croatia were mainly made by migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Syria and Kosovo.

Slovenia has also reported that in H1 2021, there were 3,343 illegal arrivals of migrants, 34.8% less than in H1 2020.

Currently, an estimated 7,500 irregular migrants are staying in Bosnia and Herzegovina, considerably fewer than in recent years.

In Serbia, the official numbers show that about 4,000 irregular migrants are now staying in that country, however, the real numbers are believed to be higher. There are several illegal migrant camps along the Serbian-Hungarian border.

The Jutarnji List daily quoted a source in the Croatian Interior Ministry as saying that the efficient protection of Croatia’s external border has prompted a portion of migrants to seek other weak spots along the EU external border, and to reroute themselves from Bosnia and Herzegovina into Serbia and try travel through Romania and Hungary.

Lately, Lithuania has been faced with a new migrant crisis, which has seen thousands of people crossing from Belarus, foreign media outlets have reported.

The Croatian government decided on Friday to send tents, bunk beds, blankets, pillows and sleeping bags to Lithuania since the Baltic country has taken in more than 2,000 migrants in recent weeks.

The number of crossings of irregular migrants, mainly Syrians and Iraqis, from Belarus to Lithuania has increased 25 times compared to the whole of 2020, Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinovć said at a cabinet meeting.

Croatia’s aid is equivalent to HRK 1.05 million (€140,000).