lovenia says it will restrict the number of migrants passing through its territory in a bid to stem the flow of refugees travelling northwards to Germany and Scandinavia. The announcement sparked a domino effect in the Balkans, with neighbouring Croatia and Serbia following suit with similar moves.

Slovenia's interior ministry said it would bar entry to all those without a valid Schengen visa from 8 March. Those wishing to claim asylum in the country will be allowed to enter, along with migrants selected "on a case-by-case basis on humanitarian grounds".

The move is bound to create further backlogs of migrants on the Balkan route, with some 36,000 people already stranded on the Greek-Macedonian border. Nearly 500,000 refugees have passed through Slovenia's territory over the past six months but only 1% of them have asked for asylum in the country, according to Reuters.

[link to www.ibtimes.co.uk]