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| Migrant crisis: Slovenia braces as Hungary closes border | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Migrants have begun arriving in Slovenia by bus from Croatia, after Hungary shut its border with Croatia to try to stem the numbers arriving en route to Western Europe. | |
| Hungary closed its Croatia frontier on Friday and now says it will reintroduce controls on its Slovenia border. | |
| Many of the migrants aim to continue north to Austria and Germany. | Many of the migrants aim to continue north to Austria and Germany. |
| Nearly 600,000 migrants have reached the EU by sea so far this year, many travelling from Turkey to Greece. | |
| However more than 3,000 have perished trying to cross the Mediterranean. Many migrants are Syrians fleeing the civil conflict there. | |
| Hungary said it shut the border with Croatia after European Union leaders failed to agree its plan to send a force to prevent migrants reaching Greece. | |
| Hungary's closure of its border with Croatia comes just a month after it shut its frontier with Serbia, which was another transit route to Western Europe. | |
| Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said border controls with Slovenia would be temporarily reinstated to safeguard Hungary from a "mass wave of unidentified, uncontrolled migrants." | |
| Hungary and Slovenia are both part of the passport-free Schengen zone, but Croatia is not. | |
| Until Friday night, 5,000 to 8,000 people were being allowed across Hungary every day, without registration, bound for Austria. | Until Friday night, 5,000 to 8,000 people were being allowed across Hungary every day, without registration, bound for Austria. |
| There are fears in Slovenia, a nation of some two million people, that the latest border closure will channel many more migrants through the country. | |
| 'Only second-best' | 'Only second-best' |
| Extra police had been deployed to the border with Croatia, Slovene Interior Minister Vesna Gjorkos Znidar said. | |
| But the country will keep accepting refugees as long as Austria and Germany's borders remain open, she said. | But the country will keep accepting refugees as long as Austria and Germany's borders remain open, she said. |
| Slovenia's national security council is due to meet on Saturday. | Slovenia's national security council is due to meet on Saturday. |
| All passenger rail transport from Croatia has already been stopped. | |
| Those arriving by road will be transferred to a migrant centre near the Austrian border after a registration procedure, AP quoted police spokeswoman Suzana Raus as saying. | |
| The past month has seen some 3,000 migrants pass through Slovenia, Reuters news agency reported. Slovenia has said it was in a position to accommodate up to 8,000 migrants per day. | |
| Late on Friday, several hundred migrants who arrived near the village of Zakany minutes before the deadline were the last to be allowed through. | Late on Friday, several hundred migrants who arrived near the village of Zakany minutes before the deadline were the last to be allowed through. |
| "Closure!" a soldier shouted after the last travellers had passed across. | "Closure!" a soldier shouted after the last travellers had passed across. |
| "We know that this is not the best, but only the second-best solution," Foreign Minister Szjjarto said on Friday when announcing the closure. Migrants could still apply for asylum in Hungary at two border transit zones, he added. | |
| The border posts at Beremend and Letenje are also open for anyone with valid documents. | The border posts at Beremend and Letenje are also open for anyone with valid documents. |
| Croatia's Interior Minister, Ranko Ostojic, said his country was "turning the route, the corridor, towards Slovenia". | Croatia's Interior Minister, Ranko Ostojic, said his country was "turning the route, the corridor, towards Slovenia". |
| But it had not struck any agreement with Slovenia, according to Mr Ostojic. "This is (purely) a Croatian plan." | But it had not struck any agreement with Slovenia, according to Mr Ostojic. "This is (purely) a Croatian plan." |
| BBC Balkans correspondent Guy de Launay says this plan will only work as long as Slovenia allows refugees to enter. | |
| If Slovenia did completely shut its borders, then Croatia would be faced with an influx of around 5,000 refugees a day - and nowhere to send them, our correspondent says. | |
| Read more | Read more |
| Can deeds match words?: The challenges ahead for the EU and Turkey | Can deeds match words?: The challenges ahead for the EU and Turkey |
| The pull of Europe: Five migrant stories | The pull of Europe: Five migrant stories |
| Merkel under pressure: Chancellor's migrant policy faces criticism at home | Merkel under pressure: Chancellor's migrant policy faces criticism at home |
| Focus on Turkey: Why the EU views Syria's northern neighbour as key | Focus on Turkey: Why the EU views Syria's northern neighbour as key |
| Crisis in graphics: Migration numbers explained | Crisis in graphics: Migration numbers explained |
| Have you been affected by the migration crisis? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences. | Have you been affected by the migration crisis? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |