Slovenian army mobilized to control immigrants

(Baonghean.vn) - According to Reuters, late on February 22, the Slovenian Parliament approved a decision to mobilize troops to protect the border with Croatia to assist the police in controlling the flow of immigrants into the country.

Migrants at the Slovenian border. Photo: Reuter.

The decision was passed with 69 votes in favor and 5 against, said Milan Brglez, speaker of the Slovenian parliament. Prime Minister Miro Cerar said at a press conference before the parliament session that the army was assigned to the border for only three months.

“The army will not carry out military operations, but will only help the police protect the border and guide immigrants who want to cross the border to the reception center… The number of soldiers mobilized depends on the size of the immigrant flow,” Mr. Cerar said.

Immediately after the decision of the Slovenian Parliament, Austria - the northern neighbor - also announced that it would limit the flow of immigrants into the country.

Since October, when Hungary sealed its border with Croatia and pushed the wave west to Slovenia, some 474,000 migrants have crossed into Slovenia, the smallest country on the Balkan migration route, en route to Austria and other northern European countries.

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters)