Recent police actions to stop groups of migrants crossing over from Greece reveal that the smugglers have changed their tactic. Instead of moving the groups through the main transport corridor along the Vardar river, the migrants are now frequently found over the Belasica mountain.

Groups were intercepted in Bansko, Kuklis, Gabrovo, Murtino and other villages close to the tri-border area with Greece and Bulgaria. The most recent interception was a group of 25 migrants near Murtino who were driven in a truck with Stip licence plates. The driver fled to avoid arrest, while the mostly Afghan and Pakistani migrants will be deported back to Greece.

So far there are no mass border violations,that would compare to the 2015/16 crisis, but the interceptions of groups of dozens up to a hundred migrants, that would usually happen every two or three days, are now a daily occurrence. Macedonia has sealed the zone of the main border crossing near Gevgelija, a flat region well covered with a highway, railway line and multiple roads, with a barbed wire fence. But other mountainous areas with Mt. Belasica to the east and Mt. Kozuf to the west are far more rugged and while more difficult for the migrants to cross are also much more difficult to patrol.