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| Migrant crisis: Slovenia army to help police | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Slovenia's army will help police deal with thousands of migrants expected to arrive from Croatia in the coming days, Prime Minister Miro Cerar says. | |
| His announcement came as hundreds of migrants began arriving on its borders with Croatia - a day after Hungary closed its frontier with Croatia. | |
| Many of the migrants aim to continue north to Austria and Germany. | Many of the migrants aim to continue north to Austria and Germany. |
| More than 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. | However more than 3,000 have perished trying to cross the Mediterranean. Many migrants are Syrians fleeing the civil conflict there. |
| Slovenia's Prime Minister Miro Cerar said the government had decided "to include the army in helping police". | |
| He was speaking after a meeting of the country's National Security Council. | |
| Throughout the morning, some 600 refugees at a reception centre near Croatia's border with Serbia were bussed to two border crossings into Slovenia. | |
| The UN refugee agency said they were being registered by police and taken to a refugee camp close to the Austrian border. | |
| "For now (the procedure) is running really smoothly. Unlike other countries, Slovenia had time to prepare... It's not perfect, but things are moving," UNHCR spokeswoman Caroline van Buren told the AFP news agency. | |
| Slovenia, a nation of some two million people, has deployed extra police to its border areas and stopped all passenger rail transport from Croatia. | |
| But Slovenian Interior Minister Vesna Gjorkos Znidar earlier said the country would keep accepting refugees as long as Austria and Germany's borders remain open. | |
| 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. | |
| At the scene: BBC's Guy Delauney in Croatia | At the scene: BBC's Guy Delauney in Croatia |
| The quiet Croatian town of Cakovec is preparing for a new role - as a railhead for refugees. | The quiet Croatian town of Cakovec is preparing for a new role - as a railhead for refugees. |
| Thousands of them are expected to come through here in the coming days, following Hungary's completion of a fence along its border with Croatia. Now as many as 5,000 people a day will have to use an alternative route into the Schengen area. | Thousands of them are expected to come through here in the coming days, following Hungary's completion of a fence along its border with Croatia. Now as many as 5,000 people a day will have to use an alternative route into the Schengen area. |
| They will arrive by train from reception areas close to Croatia's border with Serbia. Then they will be split into groups. Some will go by bus to the border crossing with Slovenia at Macelj. But the majority will travel on by train to another crossing at Sredisce ob Dravi. | They will arrive by train from reception areas close to Croatia's border with Serbia. Then they will be split into groups. Some will go by bus to the border crossing with Slovenia at Macelj. But the majority will travel on by train to another crossing at Sredisce ob Dravi. |
| Red Cross and UNHCR workers welcomed those who arrived on Saturday afternoon - as an already long journey has become that little bit more complicated. | Red Cross and UNHCR workers welcomed those who arrived on Saturday afternoon - as an already long journey has become that little bit more complicated. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. | |
| Hungarian 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. | |
| Late on Friday, several hundred migrants who arrived near the border village of Zakany minutes before the deadline were the last to be allowed through from Croatia into Hungary. | Late on Friday, several hundred migrants who arrived near the border village of Zakany minutes before the deadline were the last to be allowed through from Croatia into Hungary. |
| "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," Mr Szijjarto said on Friday when announcing the closure. Migrants could still apply for asylum in Hungary at two border transit zones, he added. | "We know that this is not the best, but only the second-best solution," Mr Szijjarto 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 Delaunay says this plan will only work as long as Slovenia allows refugees to enter. | BBC Balkans correspondent Guy Delaunay 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. | 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. |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |