ZAGREB, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Croatian authorities have prevented 25,000 attempts of illegal entry and arrested 950 human smugglers and their accomplices since the beginning of this year, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic announced on Tuesday.
Bozinovic made the remarks during a tour of the state and external Schengen border along the Una River. According to Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), the minister said these operations have contributed to a roughly 40 percent drop in illegal migration at the border.
"Behind these results are people, good organization, and continuous investment," Bozinovic said, adding that around 500 million euros (about 561 million U.S. dollars) have been invested over the past decade to equip the police force.
General Police Director Nikola Milina noted that 6,500 officers are continuously deployed to protect the 1,350 km external border.
Bozinovic emphasized the strategic importance of the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which serves as a crucial transit point. Roughly 80 percent of the recorded illegal crossings along the so-called Western Balkan route, a major transit corridor used by irregular migrants seeking to reach Western Europe, were thwarted at this specific border.
Additionally, official data showed that about 7,000 individuals were returned from Croatia this year with logistical support from the EU border agency Frontex, while approximately 1,000 migrants were returned to Croatia under regional frameworks.
