Dozens of migrants found on highways traveling on foot

Dozens of migrants found on highways traveling on foot

BELGRADE -- 39 foreign nationals with no personal documents have been discovered in the region of Serbia's eastern town of Negotin on Tuesday.

The Serbian Interior Ministry (MUP) said that one group of 26 people was moving on foot from Veljkovo towards Negotin, while 13 more were trying to reach the town from the direction of Mokranj.

The illegal migrants were taken to a police station in Negotin, where it was determined they were citizens of Afghanistan. Considering that all said they wished to seek asylum in Serbia, they were sent to the asylum center in Tutin, the MUP said.

On Monday, the police in Smederevo, southeast of Belgrade, announced that 22 Iraqis were found walking along the E75 highway. They also carried no personal documents, and requested asylum in Serbia.

After the migrants were taken to the Smederevo police headquarters, it was determined they were Iraqi citizens who had crossed to Serbia from Macedonia on foot, outside established border crossings. They said they had fled Iraq because of the armed conflict in that country.

They were instructed to report to the Asylum Center in Krnjaca within 72 hours, according to a MUP statement.