Slovenia reintroduced today controls at its border with Hungary, for an initial period of 10 days. Around 17,000 western Europe-bound migrants arrived in Slovenia’s southern neighbor Croatia since Wednesday, according to the BBC.
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Milanovic has said the migrants will be given free passage to wherever they wish to go, meaning they will likely pass through to Slovenia, which borders Austria, Italy and Hungary.
The incident happened at the Harmica border crossing as several hundred refugees demanded to be allowed to enter Slovenia. Authorities had warned them to avoid walking in areas along the Serbian border that are still being demined from the country’s 1991-95 war.
Slovenian police have used tear gas to disperse a group of refugees on its border as the country’s government says it is considering opening safe corridors for refugees to pass through the tiny Alpine country. Croatia represents a longer and more hard route into Europe, but those fleeing violence in their homelands had little choice.
Thousands more migrants are continuing to enter Macedonia, Croatia, Hungary and Austria.
“We are calling on the European Union to realize that Croatia will not be a hot-spot”, he said. Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said the country “cannot force anyone to stay”.
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Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar(R) talks to refugees during his visit to the Refugee Center in Brezice, Slovenia, September 19, 2015.
