A total of 29,500 attempts at illegally crossing the Croatian border have been recorded so far this year, which is an increase of 170 percent compared with the same time last year, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Friday.

He said that this does not necessarily mean 29,500 persons because each police action is recorded, noting that some migrants make several dozen such attempts.

The number of people applying for asylum has also increased this year, given that Croatia joined the European Union’s Schengen passport-free travel area on 1 January. Yet, within days of applying for asylum, most migrants leave Croatia for other EU countries.

Bozinovic announced the possibility of introducing detention for persons who have not regulated their international protection status, and detention facilities for that purpose would be situated close to the EU’s external border.

Asked to comment on a fight between asylum seekers that had broken out at the reception centre in Zagreb’s Dugave district late on Wednesday afternoon, Bozinovic said there was no reason for concern because the police were monitoring the situation.

He said that illegal migration was a global problem and that a common solution was being sought, “however, different countries still have different views on this matter. Although we have been under constant pressure, the situation in this country is still better than in countries that are migrants’ final destinations.”