The Route Migrants Are Taking To Reach Europe

The European Union is under increasing pressure to confront the migrant crisis - with many refugees now travelling via Greece instead of embarking on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean which has claimed thousands of lives.

However, the impact of the mass migration is not just being felt by the likes of Germany, Sweden and the UK, where many refugees intend to go.

Every country along the route they take - referred to as "the Balkan corridor" - is also feeling the strain as they try to provide the humanitarian aid and documentation migrants need to continue their desperate journeys.

:: Turkey

Turkish authorities claim they have already accepted more migrants than any other country, with a running total of more than 1.9 million people, most of them from Syria.

The country estimates it has spent £3.18bn on assisting refugees, and says the international community has only reimbursed about 3% of this cost.

:: Greece

Although an EU member state, Greece has many economic problems of its own - and that is why most refugees attempt to move on through the Balkans after arriving.

Greek authorities have been criticised for taking a heavy-handed approach with migrants arriving on their shores, particularly in Kos.

Many refugees have been left waiting in hot temperatures, without food or water, for papers allowing them to travel through the country via Athens and Thessaloniki to the Macedonian border.

In recent days, the UN refugee agency has appealed to Greek authorities "to enhance registration and reception arrangements" on their side of the border.

:: Macedonia

The Macedonian government recently declared a state of emergency in two key border regions: Gevgelija in the south, where migrants arrive from Greece; and Kumanovo in the north, which is the gateway to Serbia.

A few months ago, about 500 migrants a day were passing through Macedonia, but this has now risen to 2,500. The country's Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, expects this to increase further to 4,000 a day.

Although extra buses and trains have been provided to help them on their journeys, Macedonia is struggling to cope - and Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki has accused the EU of only providing "symbolic assistance", even though Greece has "given up" on policing its side of the border.

Macedonia is not an EU member state. However, it wants the union to provide greater levels of financial support, not least because it is accommodating migrants who are leaving one EU country and travelling through to get to others.

Mr Poposki added: "This is not only a financial issue, it's a humanitarian issue, with people leaving a territory that is in war, where their lives are in danger, but who can only be housed if Europe provides a joint response. And at this point, there is no such joint response."

:: Serbia

The next step for migrants who pass through Macedonia is Serbia.

After walking from the southern border town of Miratovac to a nearby reception centre, migrants are given paperwork which grants them three days to reach the northern end of Serbia using public transport.

Serbian authorities seem to be coping well at the moment, but the number of migrant arrivals is increasing fast. Some 7,000 arrived in the country over the weekend - compared to 90,000 since the start of the year.

:: Hungary

There is one final border to cross before the migrants are back in EU territory - yet in the coming days and weeks, it could also become the hardest.

Hungary is creating a temporary barrier along its border with Serbia - to be guarded by the army and complete with barbed wire - in the hope it will encourage "professionally organised" migrants to consider alternative routes.

Although the government isn't planning on stopping migrants from entering the country entirely, it wants to ensure refugees only gain access at "designated entry points".

It is the gateway to the likes of Germany, the Netherlands, France and the UK - and if the number of migrants who are permitted to enter Hungary is greatly restricted, the UN believes it could cause dangerous bottlenecks on the Serbian side of the border.