Slovenia extends border controls with Croatia until December amid security concerns

ZAGREB, 23 May (Hina) – The Slovenian government on Thursday extended temporary border controls on its crossings with Croatia and Hungary, which have been in place since October 2023, according to the Slovenian news agency STA.

The extension is in place until 21 December.

The government said the decision was based on the continued instability in neighbouring EU countries and the wider international environment, which it said continues to affect the internal security of member states.

Slovenia introduced border controls on 21 October 2023 on its borders with Croatia and Hungary, citing deteriorating security conditions in the Middle East and an increased terrorism risk. At the time, Italy also introduced checks on its border with Slovenia for the same reasons, and has continued to extend them in parallel with Slovenia.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi recently said Italy would also extend its border controls with Slovenia again, stressing that they have not affected cross-border movement and trade.

The Slovenian government has also pointed to a broader set of global risks, including Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, hybrid threats, disinformation campaigns, illegal migration flows, and criminal trafficking networks affecting EU member states and candidate countries.

It also cited conflicts in Iran and wider developments in the Middle East as additional sources of instability.

Authorities said security services will continue to monitor risks and assess the impact of controls, with the aim of restoring free movement within the Schengen area as soon as conditions allow.