Western Balkans is becoming a leader in the list of the regions, from where are coming the highest numbers of asylum seekers into the EU member states. The latest report of European Office for Asylum shows this, the data gathered in the first three months of this year tells that the citizens of Western Balkans for the 10th time in a row are the largest group of asylum seekers. From the overall numbers in January, February and March of 2014, 19.240 belong to the Western Balkans. Most of them are coming from Serbia 31 percent, Albania 23, Kosovo 17 percent, from Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina each 13 percent and last with less asylum seekers is ranked Montenegro with 3 percent.
“The real problem is that the majority of asylum seekers are Roma, who are been facing with discrimination in Balkans and also with very bad living conditions. Therefore, the reasons for their travel to EU countries are economic. In this few months period they are receiving, shelter, food, health insurance, while some of them work in “black market” to earn something, this way when they are returned to their home destinations to have some sort of savings for few months,” said Alexandra Stiglmaer from the European Initiative for stability.
Presently, 95 percent of asylum applications are made from persons that are coming from Balkans, even that they have been refused at the first degree. Eighty seven percent of applications of all asylum applications have to do with three countries, Germany, France and Sweden.
