Hungary to seal off border with Croatia from midnight

“Hungary should be able to fulfill its Schengen commitments on the Hungarian-Croatian border, in other words we will close the green border from midnight”, Peter Szijjarto said. People without authorization to cross may submit asylum applications in two transit zones between Hungary and Croatia and, if permitted, enter at official crossing points. “Unfortunately, this decision has not been made”, he added.

The country completed construction of a razor-wire barrier along the 220-mile border with Croatia this week.

“But spiritually, Islam was never part of Europe”.

Asked after the summit how would he describe Croatian prime minister Zoran Milanovic’s reaction to the measure, Orban said: “Disagreement”.

Nearly 600,000 people have arrived in Europe so far this year, with many of them heading for Germany and Sweden.

The move comes a month after Hungary’s right-wing government shut its frontier with Serbia to hundreds of thousands of refugees, many of them from war in Syria, streaming across the Balkan peninsula from conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Hungary’s use of fences and its treatment of migrants – including serious clashes on September 16 between police and migrants – has been sharply criticized, including by United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon. “We don’t want that”.

It is the latest step, threatened by Mr Orban earlier this week during meetings in Brussels, against refugees arriving in Europe.

“Not everyone is entitled to a life in Germany or a life in Hungary”.

A Hungarian police officer patrols along the temporary border fence on the Hungarian-Serbian border near Roszke, 180 kms southeast of Budapest, Hungary, during sunrise one day after Hungary closed its border to Serbia.

The UNHCR also warned of a recent increase in the numbers of refugees arriving to Europe.

“We can close the border in an hour, but it’s only the second-best solution, the best would be closing the Greek border, this is what we would like to achieve this afternoon”, he said.

The UNHCR has called on the European Union to accelerate procedures of refugee registration.