Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia call for funding to fight illegal migration

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Serbian President Aleksander Vucic hold a joint news conference during the Slovak, Serbian and Hungarian leaders' meeting at the New Fortress, in Komarno, Slovakia, October 22, 2024. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

KOMARNO, Slovakia (Reuters) -The leaders of Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia on Tuesday affirmed their efforts to curb illegal migration into the European Union, adding that protecting the bloc's external borders was the best defence and more EU funds were needed.

The number of illegal crossings through the western Balkans fell 79% year-on-year to just under 17,000 in the first nine months of 2024, according to data from border agency Frontex.