The Slovenian border barrier is a

border barrier A border barrier is a separation barrier that runs along or near an international border. Such barriers are typically constructed for border control purposes such as curbing illegal immigration, human trafficking, and smuggling. Some such ...

constructed by

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...

in 2015–2016 on its border with

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

as a response to the

European migrant crisis The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis, was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the continent to request ...

. Both Slovenia and Croatia are

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...

members, therefore the barrier is located on an internal EU border; but previously only Slovenia was a member of the free travel

Schengen Area The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and ...

, which Croatia joining the area in 2023. In March 2016, Slovenia announced that only migrants who apply for asylum in Slovenia and those with clear humanitarian needs will be allowed to enter Slovenian territory.

History

Slovenska vojska pri reševanju migrantske situacije z več zmogljivostmi 01

Slovenska vojska podpira oskrbo migrantov tudi v prazničnem času 07

In November 2015, Slovenia started construction of the barrier consisting of

razor wire Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent passage by humans. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has generally been used to describe barbed tape products. Razor wire is much sharper th ...

. The stated aim of the barrier is to control the flow of refugees and migrants, while the border stays open. The 400 mile border between Slovenia and Croatia forms the southeastern border of the

, the passport-free zone shared by members states of the

. Hundreds of thousands of migrants have attempted to enter the Schengen Area in 2015, with over 171,000 of refugees of the wars in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...

and Syria crossing into Slovenia from Croatia since Hungary closed its border on 16 October 2015. The flow of migrants may be diverted to routes crossing through Albania and Italy. In March 2016, Slovenia barred migrants from transiting through its territory and announced that only migrants who apply for asylum in Slovenia and those with clear humanitarian needs will be allowed to enter Slovenian territory. In reaction,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...

announced closure of its borders with

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

and

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...

to migrants without valid documents. As of January 1, 2023, all land borders and barriers dividing Croatia and Slovenia have been removed due to Croatia’s accession to

Environmental impact

Croatia complained to the EU that the Slovenian fence is an obstacle for migration of wildlife such as

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the ...

and that "Slovenia is violating European legislation on the conservation of natural habitats and the environment".Croatia protests Slovenian border fence that kills animals
AP. 18 December 2015. The razor-wire fence laid by Slovenia in December 2015 on the border with western Croatian regions of

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian and Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian, Italian and Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic betwee ...

and Gorski kotar endangeres the habitat of the

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...

and the

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is ...

, both of which are protected by law in Croatia. Local hunters have found deer killed by the fence. The WWF and the inhabitants of the regions from both sides of the border have protested against the decision to put up the razor-wire fence.

References

{{coord missing, Slovenia Border barriers constructed during the European migrant crisis Fortifications in Slovenia Croatia–Slovenia border 2015 establishments in Slovenia

History

Environmental impact

See also

References