Slovenia to set up temporary facilities for migrants at Croatia border, citing surge in arrivals

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia will set up temporary facilities for handling migrant arrivals at the border with Croatia, citing a surge in arrivals, the government announced Thursday.

Authorities will put up a fence, two accommodation containers, tents and sanitary facilities at the former border crossing in Obrezje, state-owned STA news agency reported.

The official border checkpoint with Croatia was removed last year when Slovenia’s eastern neighbor joined Europe’s free-travel Schengen area. But some border control has been reintroduced because of increased migration through the region.

Slovenia has reported a surge in crossings of migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa looking for ways to reach Western Europe. Italy, Slovenia and Croatia have agreed to cooperate to curb migration through the three neighboring countries.

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Slovenia’s government said the temporary facilities for migrants will be set up because local police stations in the area lack the capacity to deal with the influx of migrants.

The arrangement will last for no longer than three years, the government said.

Migrants come to Slovenia from Croatia after passing along the so-called Balkan land route that leads from Turkey to Greece or Bulgaria and then on toward North Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia.

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