Slovenia's Border Fence Alarms Migrant Experts in Croatia

Slovenia's decision to erect metal panels and other barriers on its border with Croatia, to tackle a potential surge in refugees, will increase people-smuggling and could lead to violence, Croatian experts have said.

"Having in mind that the EU now has its own border and coast guard agency, that Bulgaria has its military on its borders and that Serbia has mobilised more people to be ready to be sent to the south ... we can also expect greater violence if a bigger number of people wants to cross the border," Julija Kranjec, an activist working on refugee issues in the Zagreb-based Centre for Peace Studies, told BIRN.

"Things like that [fences and other barriers] can't prevent people from coming across but can increase the number of deaths and violence, as well as expanding the network of people smugglers," she noted.

The Slovenian authorities started to install the metal panels on border crossings with Croatia last Friday. The Slovenian Interior Ministry confirmed to BIRN that it had already installed 27.5 kilometres of fencing.

"In the coming days, Slovenia will focus on installing temporary technical barriers at some of last year's heavily burdened entry locations where mass arrivals in Slovenia might be witnessed again," the ministry stated.

"These necessary and temporary measures are aimed at supporting the Slovenian police in effective protection of the external Schengen [EU passport-free zone] border in case of another surge in migration, and in keeping the people safe," it concluded.

On his visit to Serbia on Monday, Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said his country intended to "control who can and cannot enter Slovenia and the Schengen zone".

He warned that if a new wave of refugees arrives, like the one last...