Slovenia started to erect a razor wire fence along parts of its border with Croatia Wednesday, becoming the latest European country to install a barrier aimed at controlling the flow of refugees and migrants trying to cross its borders.
Around 180,000 people, many fleeing war in Syria and Afghanistan, have entered Slovenia since mid-October when Hungary erected a razor-wire fence along its southern border, forcing migrants to divert westward, reported Reuters. Most of the migrants head north to Austria with Germany as their end goal.
Prime Minister Miro Cerar announced Tuesday that a new fence would help control the mass migration.
Trucks carrying wire fencing arrived in the Slovenian village of Veliki Obrez and were accompanied by a large number of soldiers and police tasked with guarding construction equipment, according to NBC News.
The development of the fence follows a report from Slovenia's public broadcaster, who claimed earlier this week that the country had purchased about 78 miles of fencing to be placed along the border shared with Croatia, which is more than 400 miles in length. Officials noted that the fence wouldn't seal its border completely but would control the flow of refugees and migrants.
Slovenia's government is also considering limiting the flow of migrants by imposing a daily cap of 6,000. Balkan governments estimate that the number of refugees and migrants has reached about 10,000 per day.
This cap is of great importance to Slovenia because as the smallest country on the Balkan route, it lacks the resources to shelter large numbers during the winter if Austria, who recently said it could only accept a maximum of 6,000 per day from Slovenia, opts to shut its border, according to The New York Times.
The decision to erect the fence has drawn sharp criticism from humanitarian organizations and human rights activists in Slovenia, which have accused the government of failing the migrants by leaving them hungry and cold while exposed to the elements.
