The Romanian Border Police caught a group of 16 migrants who were trying to enter Romania illegally after crossing the Danube River by boat.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, October 4, at around 02:30.

Following preliminary investigations, the Romanian authorities found out that all 16 migrants were Iraqi citizens. Eight of them were men, two were women, and six were children. Their ages varied between 10 and 42.

The migrants told the authorities that they were planning to get to Germany. They took the Turkey-Bulgaria route, spent a few days in neighboring Bulgaria, and then crossed the Danube River by boat, with the help of some guides.

The migrants allegedly paid EUR 35,000 per family to the guides who organized their trip.

The Romanian border police have opened an investigation for illegal border crossing. All 16 Iraqi citizens will be handed over to the Bulgarian Border Police, which will also conduct an investigation in this case, under the Romanian-Bulgarian protocol.

On September 20, the border police caught another group of eight migrants who crossed the Danube by boat to Romania.

Two migrants drown in the Danube while trying to cross to Romania

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Politiadefrontiera.ro)