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Slovenia Starts Building Border Fence to Stem Flow of Migrants
Slovenia Starts Building Border Fence to Stem Flow of Migrants
(about 3 hours later)
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenia began erecting a razor-wire fence at its border with Croatia on Wednesday to stem the flow of migrants as winter closes in and countries to the north tighten border controls.
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenia began erecting a razor-wire fence at its border with Croatia on Wednesday to stem the inflow of migrants, as winter closes in and countries to the north tighten their own border controls.
A day after the authorities warned of a “human catastrophe,” a convoy of army trucks carrying barbed wire and construction equipment arrived in Veliki Obrez, at the southern border with Croatia, at dawn on Wednesday.
A convoy of army trucks carrying barbed wire and construction equipment arrived in the border town of Veliki Obrez at dawn on Wednesday. Soldiers rolled out the wire along the Slovenian bank of the Sotla River, which forms part of the 400-mile border with Croatia.
Throughout the morning, soldiers rolled out the razor wire along the Slovenian side of the Sotla, a river which forms part of the 400-mile border with Croatia.
Slovenia is an important country on the migration route through the Balkans because its border with Croatia also forms the southern frontier of Europe’s Schengen area, where passport-free travel is possible.
Slovenia is a crucial part of the so-called Balkan route for migrants because its border with Croatia is on the southern frontier of the Schengen area, which allows passport-free travel through much of Europe.
Since Oct. 17, when Hungary closed its border with Croatia and redirected the flow, more than 180,000 migrants from Africa, the Middle East and Asia have entered Slovenia, a nation of two million people.
More than 180,000 people have entered Slovenia from Croatia since Oct. 17, when Hungary closed its border and redirected the flow of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and Asia to Slovenia, a nation of two million people.
Though the new fence threatens to block the route again just as winter is approaching, migrants have largely been able to find their way around such obstacles. Officials are anticipating that asylum seekers may now turn to Albania and Italy as an alternative routes to more prosperous European countries in the north.
The wall threatens to cause a major disruption on the route, just as winter is approaching. Still, migrants have largely been able to find their way around similar obstacles, like the complete shutdown of the Hungarian borders, and officials are anticipating that Albania and Italy could become alternative routes for asylum seekers.
Most of the migrants moving through the Balkans have gone on to Austria and then Germany. Slovenia has been saying that it could manage the influx of about 6,000 to 8,000 asylum seekers a day as long as roughly the same number moved on each day. But Austria said recently that it could accept only 6,000 people a day from Slovenia, and Germany has started to tighten some controls on arrivals.
Most migrants have moved on to Austria and then Germany, and Slovenia has insisted that it could manage the influx, which has generally been 6,000 to 8,000 people a day, as long as the number of those entering the country more or less equals the number of those exiting.
As a result, the Slovenian prime minister, Miro Cerar, said that it was very likely that many of the 30,000 migrants who were traveling north from Greece could become stranded in Slovenia, which has limited room to accommodate them.
Austria recently said it could accept only a maximum of 6,000 people a day from Slovenia as Germany, the preferred destination for most migrants, started to tighten some controls and intensify the screening process.
“It’s a big number,” Mr. Cerar said at a news conference on Tuesday, after the government approved construction of the fence. “If we don’t act now, we could have a humanitarian catastrophe on the territory of Slovenia,” he said.
As a result, the Slovenian prime minister, Miro Cerar, said that it was likely that many of the 30,000 migrants who are traveling northward from Greece could be stranded in his country, and that he had limited space and resources to properly accommodate them during winter.
Mr. Cerar said that even with the fence, the border with Croatia “will remain open.”
“It’s a big number,” Mr. Cerar said, adding that if Austria and Germany imposed tougher restrictions — or closed their borders entirely — as many as 100,000 people could end up in Slovenia.
Nations along the migrant trail are watching Germany’s actions closely. On Wednesday, the German interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, defended the country’s new measures to turn away migrants who are not eligible for asylum, even from Syria, whose four-year war has driven tens of thousands of citizens to flee to Europe.
“If we don’t act now, we could have a humanitarian catastrophe on the territory of Slovenia,” Mr. Cerar said at a news conference on Tuesday after the government approved the construction of the fence.
The German migration office agreed a year ago to accept written asylum applications from Syria and forego the usual personal interview, but the policy was reversed on Oct. 21, Mr. de Maizaire told Parliament, because of growing doubts that all the applicants are genuine.
He did not provide details about the length and exact location of the fence, but he emphasized that the border with Croatia “will remain open.”
Along the migrant trail, nations are watching Germany closely, as officials there tighten controls to weed out those not deemed eligible for asylum. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere of Germany also defended new measures on Wednesday to stanch the inflow of even Syrians, whose four-year war has driven tens of thousands to Europe.
A year ago, the country’s migration office agreed to accept written applications from Syrians seeking protection, foregoing the usual personal interview, Mr. de Maiziere said. But on Oct. 21, amid increasing doubts about the veracity of some claims to be Syrian, that measure was reversed, he told Parliament on Wednesday.
“We know that many people say they are Syrians, although they are not,” he said. “Some also come with false papers. Without personal hearings, you can only establish with difficulty what a person’s real origins are. All that troubles us, and that is why we must react. The situation forces us to adapt.”
“We know that many people say they are Syrians, although they are not,” he said. “Some also come with false papers. Without personal hearings, you can only establish with difficulty what a person’s real origins are. All that troubles us, and that is why we must react. The situation forces us to adapt.”
Similarly, he said, family reunions would be allowed often only after two years, and in many cases only if it is clear that a reasonable standard of living is guaranteed.
He also said that Germany would be stricter about admitting relatives of refugees already on its soil, and that in many cases would do so only if the family would be assured of a reasonable standard of living.
“Moving to reunite only to find unemployment and a lack of prospects should not occur,” he said.
“Moving to reunite, only to find unemployment and a lack of prospects, should not occur,” he said, adding, “It is clear that we cannot look to double or even treble our high refugee numbers through family reunion.”
He promised that these and further moves would be discussed with the interior ministers of each of Germany’s 16 states — an apparent attempt to calm critics, particularly on the left, who were caught off guard by two Interior Ministry statements that outlined the changed policies without prior public debate.
Tensions have risen over the migrant crisis among the Balkan countries that once made up Yugoslavia. Slovenia has accused Croatia of dumping thousands of desperate people at random locations on the border and leaving them to find their own way across, while Croatia has complained that the European Union has failed to come up with a common strategy to cope with the crisis. European Union leaders met in Malta on Wednesday for sixth meeting of the year on the issue.
He emphasized that “no one knows how many people from Syria and adjoining states will try to validate their claims to family reunion. But it is clear that we cannot look to double or even treble our high refugee numbers through family reunion.”
Slovenia’s decision to build the fence drew sharp criticism from humanitarian organizations and human rights activists. Last week, an open letter accused the government of failing the migrants by leaving them out in the open, hungry and cold, while the authorities registered them and processed them.
The moves over the last week were clearly intended to discourage more refugees from setting out on dangerous journeys to Turkey and by sea to Greece. So far, the flow of newcomers has continued.
Countries elsewhere in Europe have also been raising barriers against the continued flow of asylum seekers, even those with a reputation for open arms. Sweden imposed temporary border controls on Wednesday and called on the European Union to share the burden of dealing with the crisis more widely, Reuters reported.
The migrants crisis has been the source of tension between two European Union nations that were once part of the same country, Yugoslavia.
Meanwhile, refugees continued to attempt the sea crossing to Europe despite the growing risks as winter draws near. A wooden boat carrying dozens of migrants bound for Greece sank off the Turkish coast on Wednesday, killing 14 people, The Associated Press reported.
Slovenia had accused Croatia of dumping thousands of desperate people at random locations on the border, leaving them to find their own way into Slovenia and prompting the country to bring in the army to assist overwhelmed police officers.
Slovenia has complained that European Union leaders in Brussels have failed to come up with a common strategy to manage the largest movement of people across the Continent since World War II. European Union leaders are convening in Malta on Wednesday for what will be their sixth meeting of the year devoted to the migration crisis.
Slovenia demanded financial help, personnel and other forms of aid, but assistance has been slow to arrive. Despite pledges, less than half of the 400 police officers promised by European countries have shown up, and other help, like tents for the winter and additional medical personnel, is only trickling in.
The European Union has given Slovenia 10 million euros, or about $10.72 million, a fraction of the amount the country needs to care for the migrants.
The decision to build the fence drew sharp criticism from humanitarian organizations and human rights activists in Slovenia. Last week, an open letter accused the government of failing the migrants by leaving them out in the open, hungry and cold, while the authorities register and process them in accordance with Schengen rules.
