Along the Balkan route, migration is increasingly under the control of criminal networks, exploiting stricter EU border policies and subjecting migrants to extortion and abuse.
Despite some support from NGOs, the lack of coordinated protection and institutional oversight leaves migrants vulnerable to exploitation, say rights groups and migration experts.
As European border policies tighten, migrants are being forced into more dangerous and clandestine routes controlled by sophisticated criminal groups, particularly in the borderlands of Serbia, Bosnia, and Hungary. The closure of border camps has not halted migration but instead transformed it into a high-risk underground operation.
The violence and exploitation along the route are not limited to criminal groups. According to some reports, smugglers in the region have ties with local authorities, raising concerns over the collaboration between law enforcement and organized crime. The lack of effective police action and the fragmented approach to migration protection have allowed these criminal networks to thrive.
