SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) – Police in North Macedonia say a patrol has found 45 migrants on a main highway near the central town of Veles and arrested a van driver.
The 45 Pakistani migrants were discovered packed in the van early Sunday. Police say the 28-year-old driver, a Macedonian national, was arrested.
The migrants are believed to have entered North Macedonia illegally from Greece and are expected to be deported back.
Although officially closed since 2016, the so-called Balkan route remains active for the illegal transfer of migrants to wealthier European countries.
The number of migrants caught entering North Macedonia illegally has increased 20 per cent this year.
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