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How some migrants are switching to Romania in their bid for Europe

How some migrants are switching to Romania in their bid for Europe
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By Chris Harris
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It’s part of a new trend over the last month that has seen around 470 migrants arrived in the EU country.

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Migrants have seemingly changed tack in their bid to reach Europe, it’s emerged.

More than 150 people – mainly from Iran and Iraq – crossed the Black Sea from Turkey and were rescued at Midia on Romania’s eastern flank on Tuesday.

It’s part of a new trend over the last month that has seen around 470 migrants arrive in the EU country.

It comes as EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker called for Romania to be part of the Schengen Area, potentially making it easier for migrants to move westwards once in Europe.

The route has been used in the past.

It hit a five-year high in 2014 with around 430 arrivals but numbers then dropped off, falling to 68 in 2015 and just one last year.

Gabriela Leu, a spokeswoman for UNHCR’s office in Romania, told Euronews: “Sea crossing are dangerous and the fact people are putting children on these boats shows they have to be very desperate.

“People need more safe ways [in addition to the Turkey-EU deal] to get to Europe and because they don’t have legal means they have to find new routes.”

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