GETTY Thousands of migrants have come into Switzerland over the past three weeks

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More refugees are now making their way to Germany from Italy via Switzerland, instead of the traditional route from Greece through the Balkans and Austria which have now become almost impenetrable thanks to borders being fenced off. Migrants are also trying to find different routes after Ankara made an agreement with the European Union (EU) to accept migrants back who had made the journey across the Mediterranean from Turkey to Greece. As Germany remains the western European country of choice after Angela Merkel announced an open-door policy last year, migrants are finding new ways to get into the country. And once they are there, they are essentially free to roam across Europe.

We don't know if they then actually go to Karlsruhe. They are free people Kathrin Mutter

Migrants are now entering Switzerland through the southern Swiss region of Ticino near Italy's Como and hiking through the country to get to the northern Swiss area of Baden, north west of Zurich before heading into the far south west of Germany, north of Basel. Swiss Border guards and German Federal Police have reported a significantly higher number of illegal border crossings along the new route over the past few weeks. And preliminary statistics have revealed Swiss border guards discovered 5,760 "illegal residents" in July in the Ticino region.

Express The migrants are going from Sicily to Baden to Basel to Weil Am Rhein

Getty Most of the migrants are Eritrean

A police station in Weil am Rhein, one and a half kilometres into Germany, has become the go-to final destination for migrants, with officers in the 30,000-person town struggling to cope with the numbers. Police believe they have been told to head to the building, with many migrants carrying the address on a piece of paper as they drag wheelie bags or backpacks behind them and on their backs.

The border between Basel, in Switzerland, and Weil am Rhein, has been non-existent for years, with residents of both crossing between the two freely. There has even been a cross-border tram for the past year and a half, making it exceedingly easy for illegal immigrants to cross over unnoticed. Police say most of the arrivals are African, with the majority from dictatorial Eritrea in the horn of Africa which has one of the worst human rights records in the world.

Getty More migrants are coming over the Med to Italy since the Turkey-EU agreement

Getty Before March most migrants were travelling to the Greek islands, mostly Lesbos

Kathrin Mutter, station manager at Weil am Rhein Police, said the numbers are becoming too much for officers, who are not responsible for border protection or asylum applications. She said: "In May 60 applicants came to us, in June and July it was 140 each." Most of the migrants only know one English word: "Asylum", which they announce to the officer on duty as they come, normally in the middle of the night when only one officer is present.

Migrants clash with police across Europe Wed, February 15, 2017 Migrants clash with each other in over crowded camps across Europe. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 107 Moroccan Police look at immigrants trying to jump the six-meter-high fence in Ceuta, Spanish enclave on the north of Africa, 09 December 2016.

Without identity documents or even passports, they then have to wait until colleagues on patrol duty have the time to take care of them by doing a health check, identity checks, fingerprints, take photos and check their databases with international ones. Mrs Mutter said: "It usually takes two hours per applicant already, partly because of the communication difficulties." When they are eventually registered, the asylum seekers are given a train ticket to Karlsruhe, two hours away, where there is a refugee centre. However, she added: "We don't know if they then actually go to Karlsruhe. They are free people."