Slovenia extends border controls with Croatia

(Patria) - The Slovenian Ministry of the Interior will propose to the government to extend border controls with Hungary and Croatia for 20 days, announced the relevant minister Boštjan Poklukar.

During the day, Poklukar, together with the Deputy Director General of Police Igor Ciperle, visited the border crossings with Hungary, Pince and Dolga Vas.

In explaining the recent decision to temporarily reintroduce border controls, the Slovenian government cited threats to public order and internal security in the EU, the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, and recent terrorist attacks in some EU member states.

Poklukar says that the level of terrorist threat in some European countries remains high, and in Slovenia it is medium.

- This is also the reason why the ministers of three countries - Slovenia, Italy and Croatia - will meet in Trieste on November 2nd and discuss the threat of terrorism and the measures we are establishing at the border, but also in the region - Poklukar told reporters during today's visit to the Pince border crossing, STA agency reports.

He assesses that this is necessary for controlling the entry of illegal migrants, of whom about a hundred have been registered in a few days, and several smugglers have been arrested.

Slovenia introduced temporary controls at its borders with Hungary and Croatia on October 21st. Initially, the control was supposed to last until October 30th, with the possibility of extension.

Slovenia decided on this measure after Italy informed it that it would introduce temporary control at the border with Slovenia during that period.

According to STA, Italy has meanwhile already indicated that border control with Slovenia is expected throughout the winter.