The iron border

At the beginning of 2015, the migration route leaving from Turkey and going through the Balkans acquired importance, with a transit of approximately 850,000 migrants in just one year. To interrupt this flow, an agreement has been reached between the European Union and Turkey. Furthermore, Bulgaria has constructed a barbed wire barrier, extending for 146 kilometres, on the border with Turkey.

The Balkan route

The amount of crossings through the Balkan route compared to those in the Central Mediterranean.

Source: Frontex