TOVARNIK, Croatia—Thousands of people are pouring into Croatia, turning that nation into the latest hotspot in the 1,000-mile plus exodus toward Western Europe after Hungary used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons to keep migrants out of its territory.
By Thursday morning, Croatian police said 6,200 people had entered the country since the first groups started arriving early Wednesday.
After bus trips through Serbia, the migrants crossed fields on foot to enter Croatia, where dozens of police directed them to trains and buses heading to refugee centers in Zagreb and elsewhere. Authorities earlier had warned them to avoid walking in areas along the Serbian border that are still being demined from the country’s 1991-95 war.
Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said the country has the situation under control but warned that “if huge waves start coming through Serbia, we must consider different moves.”
Croatia represents a longer and more arduous route into Europe for the asylum-seekers from Syria and elsewhere fleeing violence in their homelands. But they have little choice after Hungary sealed off its southern border with Serbia on Tuesday and began arresting anyone caught trying to enter the country illegally.
The migrants are unlikely to stay long in Croatia. Most plan to travel on, passing through Slovenia and then Austria en route to their final destination, which for most is Germany or the Scandinavian countries. Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said the country “cannot force anyone to stay.”
Both Slovenia and Austria reinstated border checkups in anticipation of the refugee wave — and Hungary warned that it would consider also building a wall on its border with Croatia.
Austrian Prime Minister Werner Faymann was holding talks Thursday in Zagreb, the Croatia capital, and Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital.
Clashes between migrants and Hungarian riot police broke out Wednesday afternoon after people frustrated at being blocked from the country pushed open a gate at the border with Serbia. Baton-wielding police responded with tear gas and water cannons, and migrants threw rocks and other objects at the police. Dozens were injured.
