Disputes have surfaced recently between the Romanian and Serbian authorities regarding the refugees. Romanian police accuse the neighbours at the south-western border that they refuse to take back the migrants who illegally cross the border. It thus violates, Romanian officials said, an agreement between the two countries, Digi24 informs.
Of the 300 refugees caught in the past year, often through joint actions of Serbian and Romanian police, more than 200 have remained in Romania.
Police officers detect the refugees crossing the border even if dark by using thermal imagers.
Spokeswoman of the Border Police Alexandra Popescu said that “217 requests for readmission have not received a favourable response. The Serbian authorities have argued that the provisions of the Agreement are not met.”
Romanian police, however, say they have complied with the readmission agreement and submitted all the necessary evidence.
“These evidence consist of sketches of the place of crossing, statements of Romanian officials and of the migrants as well as conclusions from the joint research of events on the ground,” Alexandra Popescu also said.
Serbian authorities have not commented the situation so far.
The migrants cross the south-western border almost weekly. In Serbia there are already 7,000 refugees. Many live in parks and in abandoned buildings.
Other 100 migrants have entered Romania illegally this year from Bulgaria. The neighbours in the south have taken all migrants back under the readmission agreement.