Migrant crisis: Thousands overwhelm Croatia

At the Hungarian-Serbian border A day after Croatia opened its border to migrants, chaos erupted as thousands of people broke through police barriers set up at the train station in the border town of Tovarnik.

Women were wailing and police tried to help children as masses of people pushed their way out of the holding area set up for processing, CNN's Ivan Watson reported.

Police did not use force against the migrants, as they tried to keep the barriers in place. They finally gave up and the migrants started running into Croatia.

In just 24 hours, more than 7,600 migrants have arrived in Croatia through at least seven border crossings. 

"I think that too many refugees entered in an uncontrolled way on the first day," said Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

''Yes, of course, Croatia showed a human face, but I stress that the safety of Croatian citizens and the stability of the state comes first," she said.

Croatia can't care for and satisfy the needs of so many people, she said, calling for tougher surveillance across state borders. 

Hungary closed off

Croatia became the latest pressure point in the migrant crisis after Hungarian riot police used tear gas and water cannons Wednesday to turn back people at that country's border with Serbia.

Migrants attempting to reach Western Europe were left with a difficult choice: Stay and contend with Hungary's tough new border defenses, or set out through Croatia on another uncertain path toward the European Union's wealthier nations.

Frustrations boiled over Wednesday afternoon after Hungary had sealed the final hole in its border with Serbia a day earlier, shutting off a popular route used by tens of thousands of people in Europe's vast migrant crisis.

The move left desperate men, women and children -- most of them fleeing violence in the Middle East -- blocked by a razor-wire fence from entering Hungary. 

But the impasse at that entry point into the European Union won't stop the flow of migrants attempting their arduous journeys, said Eugenio Ambrosi, regional director of the International Organization for Migration.

"People will continue to try to reach Europe through Hungary, Croatia or any other route that might be available to them,"

More barriers ahead?

After Croatia, migrants are expected to try to reach Germany by traveling up through Slovenia and then Austria. But it's unclear whether they'll ultimately fare better on that route.

Slovenia's Prime Minister Miro Cerar tweated Thursday that his country is committed to protect the EU's external borders.

The Slovenian Interior Ministry said it hadn't discussed with Croatia the possibility of providing a safe corridor to migrants and that such a move would violate national and European laws.

The ministry said it would carry out its "obligations to manage migration and control its borders" and expected Croatia to do the same.

Croatia is a member of the European Union, but unlike its northern neighbors, it isn't part of the Schengen Agreement that eliminated border controls between many EU nations.

Some people gathered at the Serbian-Hungarian border said they were wary of taking the Croatian route if it meant they would only end up stuck at yet another closed crossing.

They say turning around and heading back to the troubled countries they fled -- places like Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Iraq -- isn't an option.

The current crisis has prompted other EU nations to reintroduce security measures at borders with other member states.

Austrian Interior Ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck said Austria had started border control measures on its southern border with Slovenia.

German minister for migrants resigns

Germany's minister for migration and refugees resigned "for personal reasons" Thursday.

Manfred Schmidt had been criticized for the slow process of dealing with asylum application and creating a backlog.

At the end of August, 276,617 applications still needed to be processed, according to a ministry spokesperson.

"Dr. Schmidt has done an excellent job and the federal interior minister regrets losing him as head of this office," German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a statement.

'Open the door'

At the Serbian border crossing of Horgos, the standoff began peacefully enough Wednesday , with migrants massing early at the border fence, chanting for Hungary to "open the door."

But tensions rose, with some migrants eventually declaring Hungarian authorities had two hours to open the gate before they would attempt to break through.

When the group followed through on the threat, Hungarian security forces, who had brought in armored vehicles, responded with the tear gas and water cannons.

Screams could be heard as a running battle surged back and forth, with migrants waiting for the tear gas to clear before rushing the border fence again, throwing bottles and rocks at the Hungarian forces. Black smoke rose as migrants set tires afire, and Serbian police implored the crowd to retreat.

On Thursday morning, a much smaller crowd was gathered near the fence as many people weighed their next move.

Fresh coils of concertina wire lined the road, and officials circulated a leaflet that said the route through Hungary was "closed" and indicated an alternative path through Croatia and Slovenia.

Hungary blames 'armed mob'

Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told CNN on Wednesday that Hungarian forces had been driven to respond when young men armed with sticks and stones tried to enter the country.

Hungary: Europe not ready for 'millions' of migrants 05:27

He said he believed CNN footage of the situation did not give a true picture of events.

"An armed mob of a couple of hundreds of people are trying to enter Hungarian territory without any kind of permit," he told CNN's Becky Anderson.

He maintained that "proportionate police force" was used.

Aleksandar Vulin, Serbia's labor and social welfare minister, said his country had protested to Hungary over the use of tear gas into Serbian territory, while German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that Hungary's treatment of refugees is "not acceptable."

Hungary's conduct was "against ... European rules," she said, adding that refugees had a right to be treated decently.

Hungary has suspended traffic at the border crossing for up to 30 days, Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

Landmine warnings

Despite the warmer welcome in Croatia, migrants there could face another threat: landmines.

Medecins Sans Frontieres, one of the aid groups assisting with the refugee crisis, warned about the presence of landmines that were planted during the Balkan conflicts in the 1990s.

"Safe and legal routes needed now: #refugees may inadvertently stray into Balkan minefields in search for ways round new border restrictions," tweeted the aid agency, also known as Doctors Without Borders.

The Croatian Mine Action Centre estimates about 51,000 mines are still buried from the Balkan Wars that followed Yugoslavia's collapse.

Some of those landmines are close to the Serbian border, where many of the incoming migrants would be entering.

The Croatian government said minefields are clearly marked with large signs.