Balkans Migration and Displacement Hub Data and Trend Analysis: Regional overview April-June 2021

Data and Trend Analysis (DATA) Refugees and Migrants at the Western Balkans Route Regional Overview April-June  2021 describes key trends in migrations in the region, detailing information about the number of people on the move, demography (age, sex, country of origin, etc), behavioral patterns, and routes in use – with a focus on children, particularly unaccompanied children.

Key trends showcased in this report:

• The vast majority of countries lying alongside the Balkan route detected an increased number of refugees and migrants compared to both Q1 2021 and the same period in 2020. At least 18,600 arrivals in the Western Balkans were estimated to have taken place in the first six months of 2021, which is 92% higher than during the same period last year.
• The transit corridors from Greece, North Macedonia and Serbia towards Romania, as well as Albania and Montenegro continuing to Bosnia and Herzegovina are still the most frequently travelled routes in the Balkans.
• Solely in the first six months of 2021, the Romanian border police has recorded more than 200% more new arrivals than in the same period last year. This trend has led to an increase in the number of alleged collective expulsions and pushbacks from Romania to Serbia.
• Throughout the second quarter of 2021, instances of pushbacks and collective expulsions violating the principle of non-refoulement continued to be documented by regional civil society networks and international agencies along the Balkan route.