SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbian police have found 53 illegal immigrants and arrested two people for suspected human trafficking during an operation near Nis, the largest city in southern Serbia.
The Serbian Interior Ministry said Monday that a total number of 53 citizens from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India were arrested the night before for entering Serbia illegally in three vehicles and two people suspected of making false documents and human trafficking were detained.
The illegal immigrants were placed in asylum centers in the region while the two other undefined suspects were referred to the prosecutors in Nis.
A child was taken to social workers after being found in one of the vehicles while the driver of another escaped.
In January and February, 5,000 illegal immigrants sought asylum in Serbia, up from just 44 in 2008.
In 2014, the number reached 16,000.
Serbia is used as corridor by mostly Asian and African nationals to reach EU countries.
