Slovenian police processed almost 21,500 illegal attempts at border crossing in the fist ten months of this year, a 160% rise compared to the same period last year. The increase continues to be driven by immigrants from Burundi, India and Cuba, who can travel to Serbia without a visa.

The number of processed immigrants from Burundi has risen from one case in this period last year to 3,830, with Burundi citizens overtaking Afghans (their number rose from 2,409 to 3,587) at the top of the list. Indians follow in third place, their number having risen from 50 to 2,627.

The rise in the number of Afghan citizens began last year, when the Taliban took over, while the increase in immigrants able to enter Serbia by air transport and then continue towards Western Europe is a new phenomenon. The number of Cubans recorded in the first ten months also rose, from 4 to 451.

At the end of October, Serbia ended visa-free travel for the citizens of Burundi and Tunisia. According to Tatjana Bobnar, Slovenia's interior minister, police are already noticing a decline in arrivals from these two countries.

The number of migrants who have expressed an intention to apply for international protection has risen from 4,174 to 21,452. The vast majority of these leave Slovenia before their requests can be processed.

In general, an effort is under way in the region to crack down on criminal gangs smuggling migrants.

Austria, Serbia and Hungary have signed earlier this week a memorandum of understanding to fight illegal migration, and police forces are stepping up cooperation.

At a meeting in Portorož on 18 November, police commissioners from Austria, Italy, Croatia, Hungary and the Western Balkan region started setting up information points to exchange information about the activity of such cartels.

"It has no added value if we keep the information to ourselves. We have to share it with our partners along the migration route, because there are mixed criminal associations controlling the story. Only together can we identify them and take measures to eliminate them," Slovenian Police Commissioner Boštjan Lindav said.