Austrian border barrier

Greece has turned down a request by Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner to visit Athens.

The Greek side said that this cannot happen unless the decisions taken on the refugee issue are lifted.

Foreign and Interior Ministers of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia met in Vienna on Wednesday to coordinate moves on reducing the flow of the migrants along the so-called Balkan route.

The Austrian government invited Bulgaria for participation at an extraordinary meeting between the interior and foreign  ministers of the countries along the Western Balkans migrant route.

The invitation was sent by Austria's Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.

Austria on Friday morning began enforcing restrictions on the number of migrants that can enter the country each day.

Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner previously announced that a maximum of 80 asylum requests will be accepted daily from those arriving via the Balkan route, while 3,200 refugees will be allowed to enter each day.

Austria has decided to cap the number of refugees it wants to accept to 37,500 this year and a total of 127,500 through 2019.

The country accepted 90,000 claims last year - more than 1% of its population.

Macedonia will start immediate preparations for building a wire fence along sectors of the country's borders to respond to a potential slowdown in the passage of migrants from Macedonia to western Europe, MIA news agency reported on Sunday.

Europe's migrant crisis cannot be solved with the construction of fences or walls at borders, Germany has said after Austria announced plans to erect fences on its border with Slovenia to slow the influx. 

Austria will construct a fence along its border with Slovenia, Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner has announced.

According to her, the country must take measures in case of deterioration of the situation.

Austria said it would send back refugees who enter the country from the Croatia and Slovenia, pointing out that "Europe needs a sustainable asylum system."

Minister of Internal Affairs of Austria Johanna Mikl-Leitner said that Croatia and Slovenia are "safe countries" and that migrants who pass through them without seeking asylum will be returned there.

Austria will introduce temporary border controls, Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl Leitner has said.

She specified that her country will, like Germany, due to the current refugee crisis introduce "temporary border controls."