Hungary uses water cannon and tear gas against migrants

“We will repair the fence, in fact we will put up a stronger fence“, he said.

An official has warned Croatia to expect a large influx of migrants now that the Hungarian access route has been sealed off.

The migrant crisis “demands humanity, cooperation, solidarity and coordination” with the rest of Europe and not “use of violence and the return of Cold War walls”, he added. Hungarian state media said Thursday that police had detained dozens of migrants near the village of Illocska, opposite the Croatian town of Beli Manastir. “Our staff do not have access and the Hungarian authorities have not let us know about any schedule they have for re-opening the border“.

From the Alps to Istanbul, thousands of other refugees were caught in similar bottlenecks, with hundreds setting out to walk to Germany from the Austrian border city of Salzburg after trains north were suspended.

Most of the refugees who had hoped to cross into Hungary were still trapped along the border in Horgos, however.

“Police are protecting the border of Hungary and the EU while respecting the law and the principle of proportionality”, it said.

Hungary’s conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban has announced plans for a similar barrier on its frontier with Romania, prompting outrage from its southern neighbor.

Mr Avramopouls said he considered it a “Christian duty” to handle the migration crisis with compassion. Many have entered Croatia through cornfields to avoid having to register with authorities.

“We have seen 140,000 migrants cross our country and only 550 have applied for asylum in Serbia”.

Later Slovenian police said a group of about 150 refugees who have arrived from Croatia on an international train bound for Zurich will be returned to Croatia.

Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said the country was prepared for the arrival of refugees displaced by the Hungarian move.

Many were confused about whether to keep waiting or to try to enter the EU through Croatia, a longer and less direct path into western Europe.

Hundreds of migrants remained at the two border crossings, but their numbers dwindled as many headed towards the Croatian border.

They are holding up plackards asking to be allowed to pass through Hungary, declaring themselves as refugees who want to live in peace, and asking, “where are the human rights?”

The refugees, eager to reach northern Europe, are now crossing into Croatia after Hungary blocked them at its frontier with Serbia.