Posted on Sep 18, 2015
Croatia is latest country to close border. Can Europe stop the invasion of refugees or will they become engulfed in the ISIS conflict?
6.15K
10
6
1
1
0
Croatia closed all its border crossings with Serbia Friday in an effort to halt the flow of refugees seeking a way to Western, Central, and Northern Europe.
Croatian police tell the Associated Press that some 13,300 refugees had entered the country from Serbia since Wednesday, when Hungary completed a razor-wire fence to keep the flow of migrants under control.
E.U. leaders will convene next Wednesday to try to agree a unified response to the biggest movement of people Europe has seen since the Second World War.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio Friday that his country has started building a razor-wire fence along a stretch of its border with Croatia to keep migrants from entering the country in that area. Orban said the first phase of the 25-mile barrier will be completed on Friday, with coils of razor wire in place before an actual fence goes up. The prime minister added that he is deploying hundreds of soldiers and police to prepare the fence and defend the border.
Despite the border closures, Sky News reported Friday that refugees were arriving by bus at the Serbian border town of Sid and walking through cornfields to cross the border into Croatia.
Meanwhile, aid groups fear that refugees turned away at the Hungarian border may try to cross Croatian minefields in their bid to reach western Europe. There are estimated to be between 60,000 and 100,000 landmines left over after the Balkan wars of the 1990s covering a 310-square mile area across Croatia
Thursday night, Croatia's Prime Minister insisted his government does not have the resources to hold back those who want to travel on to Western Europe, and the nation's army is now on alert.
In a clear message to those continuing their journeys through the Balkan states, Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic added: "Don't come here anymore. Stay in refugee centers in Serbia and Macedonia. This is not the road to Europe. Buses can't take you there. It's a lie."
Many of the refugees entering Croatia try to travel on to Slovenia, but that country's police force has vowed to send back anyone who attempts to cross its borders.
On Thursday, armed Croatian police initially contained 2,000 migrants who had gathered at Tovarnik railway station after being told transport was available. Children were in tears as they struggled to cope with the crush and, unable to maintain control, the guards eventually had to let hundreds of people through in the afternoon.
One man was seen passed out on the ground.
Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, said: "They overran the area they were being corralled into - women, children and men running chaotically. I'm sure they don't know where they're going to go.
"This is exactly what Croatia did not want to happen and it's far worse than anyone expected."
Border guards were also forced to stand down in the Croatia town of Batina, where Sky's Mark Stone said he was witnessing "truly awful" scenes.
"Right next to me is a mother with a three-year-old daughter," he said. "They look utterly desperate. The temperature here must be [95 degrees] and there's no water. There is an immediate humanitarian issue here."
Stone said police had stopped him to ask how many more refugees were coming.
"They are unprepared and have no plan," he said.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/09/18/croatia-is-latest-european-country-to-close-border-to-refugees/?intcmp=hpbt1
Croatian police tell the Associated Press that some 13,300 refugees had entered the country from Serbia since Wednesday, when Hungary completed a razor-wire fence to keep the flow of migrants under control.
E.U. leaders will convene next Wednesday to try to agree a unified response to the biggest movement of people Europe has seen since the Second World War.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio Friday that his country has started building a razor-wire fence along a stretch of its border with Croatia to keep migrants from entering the country in that area. Orban said the first phase of the 25-mile barrier will be completed on Friday, with coils of razor wire in place before an actual fence goes up. The prime minister added that he is deploying hundreds of soldiers and police to prepare the fence and defend the border.
Despite the border closures, Sky News reported Friday that refugees were arriving by bus at the Serbian border town of Sid and walking through cornfields to cross the border into Croatia.
Meanwhile, aid groups fear that refugees turned away at the Hungarian border may try to cross Croatian minefields in their bid to reach western Europe. There are estimated to be between 60,000 and 100,000 landmines left over after the Balkan wars of the 1990s covering a 310-square mile area across Croatia
Thursday night, Croatia's Prime Minister insisted his government does not have the resources to hold back those who want to travel on to Western Europe, and the nation's army is now on alert.
In a clear message to those continuing their journeys through the Balkan states, Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic added: "Don't come here anymore. Stay in refugee centers in Serbia and Macedonia. This is not the road to Europe. Buses can't take you there. It's a lie."
Many of the refugees entering Croatia try to travel on to Slovenia, but that country's police force has vowed to send back anyone who attempts to cross its borders.
On Thursday, armed Croatian police initially contained 2,000 migrants who had gathered at Tovarnik railway station after being told transport was available. Children were in tears as they struggled to cope with the crush and, unable to maintain control, the guards eventually had to let hundreds of people through in the afternoon.
One man was seen passed out on the ground.
Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, said: "They overran the area they were being corralled into - women, children and men running chaotically. I'm sure they don't know where they're going to go.
"This is exactly what Croatia did not want to happen and it's far worse than anyone expected."
Border guards were also forced to stand down in the Croatia town of Batina, where Sky's Mark Stone said he was witnessing "truly awful" scenes.
"Right next to me is a mother with a three-year-old daughter," he said. "They look utterly desperate. The temperature here must be [95 degrees] and there's no water. There is an immediate humanitarian issue here."
Stone said police had stopped him to ask how many more refugees were coming.
"They are unprepared and have no plan," he said.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/09/18/croatia-is-latest-european-country-to-close-border-to-refugees/?intcmp=hpbt1
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 3
PO2 Mark Saffell
I cant say I feel sorry for Europe. It appears to me there lack of help in fighting ISIS has lead to this.
(2)
(0)
Capt Seid Waddell
PO2 Mark Saffell, exactly. This situation will continue to fester until the world has had enough and turns on Islamic extremism wherever it is found. If the world fails to stand up it will fall to the sword (U.S. included).
(1)
(0)
CDR Terry Boles
PO2 Mark Saffell
Very well said. Its hard to feel sorry for a region or its people that is not willing to stand up and defend itself against Islamic extremism.
Very well said. Its hard to feel sorry for a region or its people that is not willing to stand up and defend itself against Islamic extremism.
(0)
(0)
72 percent of all these immigrants are men of military age. Why don't they stay and fight for their country.
(2)
(0)
The question is not whether they can stop it but whether or not they have the will to do so. They could've easily sunk most of the boats being used in the Med at their moorings and put a stop to this by sea. They have the ability to control their borders by land as well, to include the potential use of lethal force to stop these invaders.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next