Central European leaders pledge new measures to stem flow of migrants to EU

FILE PHOTO: A razor wire fence stands on the Serbian-Hungarian border next to the village of Rabe, Serbia, February 3, 2022. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The leaders of Hungary, Serbia and Austria pledged new measures on Monday to contain the flow of illegal migrants into the European Union through the Western Balkans, as border control forces become increasingly strained.

In the first eight months of this year, 86,581 irregular entries were detected at the external borders of the European Union with the Western Balkans, border agency Frontex has said, a 190% increase from last year.