Serbian police confirmed on Monday, October 6th, that a boat carrying at least ten Chinese citizens capsized on the Danube River, in the border waters between Serbia and the European Union member state of Croatia, resulting in one fatality. At the time of the incident, the individuals on board were attempting to illegally cross from Serbia into Croatia.
The accident occurred on Sunday evening around 8:45 PM (GMT 18:45) near the Serbian town of Backa Palanka, located approximately 90 kilometers northwest of the capital, Belgrade.
Serbian rescue teams have recovered one body of a Chinese citizen and safely rescued four Chinese citizens. Meanwhile, rescue teams from neighboring Croatia have saved five individuals – three men and two women – all of whom are Chinese citizens.
Reports also indicate that in addition to the ten Chinese citizens, there was one Serbian citizen on board, likely the smuggler or guide responsible for operating the boat.
The section of the Danube River where the incident took place is a common route for illegal entry from non-EU country Serbia into EU member Croatia. The Serbian police have stated that an investigation is underway regarding the illegal border crossing and human trafficking activities related to this event.
Serbia serves as a critical point along the “Balkan land route immigration” towards Western Europe, with migrants hoping to reach affluent EU countries often attempting to cross from here into Croatia, Hungary, or Romania before continuing their journey.
In recent years, a new wave of Chinese immigrants has emerged along this route.
Serbia’s visa-free policy for Chinese citizens and its strategic location close to the EU border have made it an important destination and a gateway into the European Union.
Unlike earlier rural labor migrants, many of these new Chinese immigrants are from urban middle-class backgrounds or young individuals with higher education. Their reasons for choosing to migrate vary, including seeking better job or education opportunities and feeling discontent with the domestic economic or social environment.
Official figures show that the number of registered Chinese citizens in Serbia has exceeded 15,000, with possibly more residing or passing through the country, aiming to eventually enter EU countries.
(This article was based on reports from the Associated Press and Reuters)