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Sunday, October 18, 2015

Thousands of migrants surge into Slovenia in new route

PETISOVCI, Slovenia (AP) — Thousands of migrants surged into tiny Slovenia on Saturday as an alternative route opened in Europe for them after Hungary sealed its border for their free flow, adding another hurdle in their frantic flight from wars and poverty toward what they hope is a better life in Western Europe. Slovenia, the country of some 2 million people, has said it would beef up border controls and create entry points for migrants to manage the influx, but would keep accepting them as long as Austria and Germany kept their borders open. Slovenia's government has cleared the way for the armed forces to assist police in managing the influx. "Nobody can stop this flow without shooting," Ostojic said, adding that further closure of frontiers for migrants would cause "a domino effect and lot of troubles for all countries" that are on the migrant route. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced the decision to close the border after a meeting of the national security Cabinet on Friday. Hungary's right-leaning government decided to order the border clampdown after EU leaders who met Thursday in Brussels failed to agree on a plan backed by Hungary to send EU forces to block migrants from reaching Greece. Turkey's state-run news agency said 12 migrants have drowned after their boat sank off the Turkish coast in the Aegean sea.


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