According to the report, the Balkan route, though not as sensational as the Mediterranean crossings, accounts for 40% of the migration influx into Europe, many taking boats to Greece and walking from there. Migrants are coming from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and parts of Africa.

Although they see the fence as a serious obstacle, after a journey of several thousand kilometers, the migrants say they are not deterred and will find a way. “If they build a wall,” says one migrant interviewed by the Associated Press, “we will look for another line.”