Serbia has deployed troops near a town not far from the border with Croatia where hundreds of migrants are located, hoping to reach the European Union.
In a statement issued on May 16, the Serbian Defense Ministry said that President Aleksandar Vucic sent the troops to "secure" three migrant camps near the western town of Sid that are housing some 1,500 people, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Vucic said he ordered the deployment to protect the local population from alleged harassment and robberies committed by the migrants.
He told TV Prva that, after a state of emergency imposed to fight the coronavirus spread in Serbia was lifted earlier this month, the migrants started venturing outside the camps, committing "petty crimes and illegal entries into houses."
"Because of that people are feeling unsafe," Vucic said.
There are an estimated 4,000 migrants stranded in Serbia, one of the main transit routes through the Balkans for people fleeing wars and poverty.
Serbia Deploys Army To 'Secure' Three Migrant Camps

Related
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Kellogg Rejects Reports He Will Reveal Trump's Ukraine Peace Plan In Munich
2Trudeau Among Mourners At Aga Khan Memorial Service In Lisbon
3North Korea's Kim Vows Continued Support For Russia's Military Amid Heavy Losses
4U.S. Call For Elections In Ukraine: A Step Toward Peace Or A Gift To Putin?
5Ukraine Feels The Shockwaves As USAID Cuts Start To Bite
6Syphilis And Mental Disorders: Russia Eyes Tightening Military Exemptions
7Russia Executing Ukrainian Soldiers On The Spot, Says UN
8From Oligarchs To Cartels: The U.S. Reshapes Global Law Enforcement
9Mariupol Residents Refuse to Move Into Abandoned Ukrainian Homes
10Ukraine Welcomes Deliveries Of Mirage, F-16 Fighter Jets To Strengthen Air Defenses
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.