Three migrants were killed in a car crash in southern Serbia close to the border with North Macedonia, Serbian police announced on Tuesday (February 20).

Eleven other people were left injured in the accident which occurred late Monday, among them a 43-year-old Serbian driver without a driver's license. The driver was detained for suspected people smuggling, according to a police statement.

A video on state RTS television showed a smashed white car being taken away from the scene, noting that the car diverged off the road at high speed, the Associated Press (AP) reported. 

Serbia pledges to stem irregular migrant flow to EU

The accident took place on the Balkan land route, a popular and risky migrant route increasingly used by people smugglers – at times armed – for entering the European Union (EU).

The route leads from Turkey to Greece or Bulgaria, then to North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia and subsequently EU member states Croatia or Hungary. Migrants then typically attempt to continue north or westward to wealthier EU countries such as Germany, France or the Netherlands to seek asylum.

Serbia carries out joint border patrols with Hungary and Austria. The Balkan country has vowed to align its visa policies with those of the EU to help prevent the flow of irregular migrants westward.

with AP