The number of people that tried to illegally cross the Romanian border in the first half of this year has doubled compared with the corresponding period of 2007, reaching 800, Info-Prim Neo informs, citing Romanian press reports. A communiqué issued by the Border Police says that 208 groups of migrants have been identified over January-June 2008. The groups included 88 traffickers and 792 immigrants. Twenty-one groups were dealing with trafficking in persons. In six months, the border police identified 405 foreigners that entered the country illegally via forests or fields or tried to avoid the obligatory control at border crossing points and 162 foreigners that tried to illegally go out of Romania using the same methods. A number of 214 foreigners wanted to leave Romania with forged passports, while 111 persons – hidden in units of transport. Most often, the illegal migrants used the border with Hungary as well as the crossing points located at the border with Ukraine and Moldova. Situated at the intersection of the routes that connect Europe and Asia, Romania is considered to form part of the so-called “Balkan Route” of illegal migration.