'This is not the road to Europe': Croatian ministers close border with Serbia as they struggle to cope with surge of 11,000 migrants who were turned away from Hungary

 

Croatia has been forced to close almost all of its borders with Serbia as it struggles to cope with the surge of migrants, telling them to keep away as 'this is not the road to Europe'. More photos after the cut..

Authorities have said they had no other option than to close seven of the eight road crossings after 11,000 people, who were turned away from Hungary, flooded into the country in a matter of days.

Croatia has become the route of choice for those hoping to reach western Europe, but it has struggled to cope - and Ranko Ostojic, Croatia's interior minister, warned those still planning on making the trip that it was not the easy route to places like Germany and Sweden.

'Don't come here anymore. Stay in refugee centers in Serbia and Macedonia and Greece,' Ostojic said. 'This is not the road to Europe. Buses can't take you there. It's a lie.'

Roads leading to the Croatian border crossing were closed last night and only one, linking Belgrade and Zagreb, appeared to still be open.

This morning helmeted riot police tried to control growing crowds of refugees at the Croatian border town of Tovarnik, as thousands of migrants jostled to board buses after crossing into the country from neighbouring Serbia.

But most of the migrants and refugees are not planning to stay in the EU's newest member state. Already, many of those have reached the borders with Slovenia and Hungary, which are both part of the passport-free Schengen zone, leading to harsh words from Hungarian ministers. 

Slovenian police stopped a train with some 200 refugees on board - the largest number to attempt to enter the country in one go, according to police.

Meanwhile, close to 1,000 migrants arrived on a single train in Beli Manastir, on the Hungarian border, where 20 police officers were on hand to encourage them to spend the night in a disused military base.

Hungarian police have already detained 'dozens' who have tried to cross illegally, while the country's foreign minister Peter Szijjarto accused Croatian officials of having 'lost control' over the migrant flow. 

Szijjarto said it was 'unacceptable' that Croatia was pushing migrants toward Hungary and Slovenia instead of registering and looking after them according to European Union rules.

One man lifts a crying baby as he waits to board a bus heading for a reception centre for migrants in Croatia's capital of Zagreb

Migrants wait with bags on the tracks at Tovarnik station for a train to take them to the Croatian capital Zagreb

New route of choice: Some 4,000 refugees have entered Croatia from Serbia over the past 24 hours after Hungary sealed its border with a razor wire fence guarded by armed riot police. New arrivals are entering the EU member state via its eastern border

Exhausted: A Syrian girl is seen sitting in front of heavily armed Hungarian riot police at the Serbian border yesterday afternoon

Bloodied: Yesterday hundreds of refugees smashed through razor-wire fences into Hungary after chaos at the country's border. Hungarian riot police hit back with tear gas and water cannon, leaving many refugees injured - even those not taking part in the protests

Blast: Hungarian police are pictured firing tear gas and water cannon at refugees across the border in Serbia yesterday