Refugees enter Slovenia after Hungary border closure

Tens of refugees en route to Germany have been directed toward Slovenia as Hungary shut its border with Croatia on Friday.

Hungary's action to close its southern border came at the time when Europe was negotiating a refugee action plan with Turkey to prevent refugee influx.

Slovenian police said the bus had arrived at a border crossing from Croatia and that the passengers would be registered.

A month ago Hungary shut its border with Serbia, which was another transit route to western Europe.

Reuters reported on Saturday that a first bus filled with refugees, mainly from war-torn Syria, arrived at a Slovenian border crossing with Croatia and the passengers would be registered by Slovenian police.

Slovenia's Interior Minister Vesna Gjorkos Znidar said the country will keep accepting refugees as long as Austria and Germany's borders remain open.

But Slovenian authority has cancelled all rail traffic with fellow European Union member and former Yugoslav republic Croatia, potentially slowing the movement of people just as autumn winds and rain are sweeping through the Balkans.

Forty-three buses packed with refugees, many of them from the war in Syria, were stacked up at Serbia's western border with Croatia in the village of Berkasovo, Reuters reported from the area.

This morning Croatia had only allowed five buses to enter before closing its border and some other buses had been queuing through the night.

Hungary and Slovenia are both part of the passport-free Schengen zone, but Croatia is not.

Until Friday night, 5,000 to 8,000 people were being allowed across Hungary every day, without registration, bound for Austria.

Hungary has erected a steel fence almost the length of its southern frontier with Serbia and Croatia, saying it is duty-bound to secure the borders of the European Union from the threat of mainly Muslim migrants, for the prosperity, security and "Christian values" of Europe.

Hungary said the main reason of its border closure was EU leaders' failure to reach a successful deal to prevent refugees reaching the bloc's territory.