This year so far, more than two hundred people smugglers have been apprehended, while last year during the whole year this number was only a hundred and fifty, the Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister said on the public service television news channel M1 on Wednesday morning.

György Bakondi said the activities of people smugglers – who are mostly foreign nationals – are becoming ever more extensive. They are typically migrants themselves, including Syrians and Afghans, who later joined people smuggling gangs.

He stressed that the Balkans migration route continues to remain highly active, and while the number of those arriving in Greece is stagnating, the number of migrants arriving in Italy has increased significantly. Migrants are now arriving in Italy not only from Libya, but also from Tunisia and Algeria.

On this route the number of migrants has recently trebled, Mr Bakondi stated.

(MTI/Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)