Croatia to Block Refugees From Entering Slovenia

Croatia will not allow refugees to proceed
northwards to Slovenia on their way to
Germany, the country's interior minister has
said, as thousands of people streamed into
the country from Serbia.

Ranko Ostojic said on Thursday that the
refugees entering the town of Tovarnik from
Serbia would have to seek asylum in Croatia
after the authorities provided safe passage to
reception centres around the capital Zagreb.
Ostojic also said that 6,500 refugees entered
the country from Serbia in the past 24 hours.
"Croatia will not be able to receive more
people," he said.

Later on Thursday, hundreds of refugees
pushed through Croatian police lines in
Tovarnik with people trampling and falling on
each other amid the chaos.
More than 2,000 men, women and children
were stranded at the local train station for
hours in heat, waiting to board trains and
buses for transport to refugee centres. But
when the buses arrived, groups charged
toward them, overwhelming the Croatian police
who unsuccessfully tried to contain the crowd.
After the situation calmed down, groups of
migrants moved on foot, with police unable to
stop them.

Hundreds of people are still entering Croatia
from Serbia over a Danube river bridge in the
northern town of Batina after being bused by
Serbs from the Hungarian border that was
recently closed off.
Croatian police seemed to be unmanned and
unprepared for the sudden influx of families
with children as they waited to be registered
for entry.
There were some chaotic scenes at the border
with women fainting and children crying as
buses and vans took them to Croatian
collection centres.
Some families were separated as dozens of
policemen tried to establish some order.
Several ambulances were treating people.