Croatia closes border crossings with Serbia

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Croatia’s interior ministry has decided to close seven border crossing points with Serbia after 11,000 refugees entered the country since Wednesday.

The decision came after the refugees and asylum seekers switched routes from Hungary to Croatia after the government in Budapest dramatically increased security at its borders.

Closing Croatia's border points is aimed at preventing a possible corridor for thousands of people to reach EU member states; no time limit has been put on the closures.

Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said on Friday: "Croatia cannot take this burden and will not accept it while others turn their heads from it. People will not be able to remain in Croatia.”

"Croatia is in this for you, Croatia receives [refugees], but our capacities are low. In two days, more than 13,000 people entered and a small number came out. We cannot control it anymore. This exceeds our capabilities," Milanovic added.

The Croatian army has also been put on alert and is ready to be deployed.

Croatia’s National Security Council will hold a meeting on Friday to discuss the current refugee flux.

Meanwhile, refugees in Croatia began entering Slovenia on foot after the Slovenian authorities announced that trains coming from Croatia would temporarily suspended after a group of 150 people seeking refuge arrived on late Thursday.

Slovenia has also suspended its Schengen free-movement regulations.