[1/4]A police officer inspects documents at the border crossing in Obrezje, Slovenia, October 21, 2023. Portal/Antonio Bronic ACKNOWLEDGES LICENSE RIGHTS
OBREZJE, Slovenia, Oct 21 (Portal) – Slovenia deployed police at border crossings with Croatia and Hungary on Saturday to prevent possible security threats, causing queues as travelers waited for their documents to be checked.
The Slovenian government decided on Friday to introduce temporary border controls until October 30, after its neighbor Italy introduced controls at its border crossing with Slovenia to improve security at home.
Police are on duty at 14 border crossings with Croatia and Hungary, reported the Slovenian news agency STA. There will be no permanent police presence at the remaining 18 crossings.
Travelers lined up to have their documents checked at the Obrezje border crossing on the border with Croatia, where no checks had taken place since January 1 this year, when Croatia joined the check-free Schengen area.
Katica Fjacko, who traveled from the Croatian capital Zagreb, said she left early to make the trip because of controls. “Now the chaos is bigger, people are worried,” she said.
In justifying its decision to introduce border controls, the government cited security threats that could come from “members of various terrorist and extremist movements and groups” moving into Europe from areas of armed conflict.
An increase in organized crime in the Western Balkans has also been pointed out.
Reporting by Antonio Bronic; Writing by Ivana Säularac; Edited by David Holmes
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