In new route, thousands of migrants are surging into Slovenia

 

Thousands of migrants surged into tiny Slovenia on Saturday Oct 17,2015 as an alternative route opened in Europe for them after Hungary sealed its border for their free flow, adding another hurdle in their frantic flight from wars and poverty toward what they hope is a better life in Western Europe.

 

The closure of Hungary's border with Croatia early Saturday caused redirection of thousands of people -- including women and small children soaked in cold rain -- further west toward Croatia's border with Slovenia.

The small European Union-member state has limited capacity to process large numbers wishing to head toward richer European Union countries such as Germany, Austria or Sweden

The U.N. refugee agency said Slovenia has the capacity to accept some 7,000 migrants a day. Slovenian officials said, however, that they can permit up to 2,500 people a day, and will allow in new groups only after previous groups leave the country.

Slovenia, the country of some 2 million people, has said it would beef up border controls and create entry points for migrants to manage the influx, but would keep accepting migrants as long as Austria and Germany kept their borders open