Minister of Internal Affairs of Austria Johanna Mikl-Leitner said that Croatia and Slovenia are "safe countries" and that migrants who pass through them without seeking asylum will be returned there.

Croatia's Jutarniji List writes that "Austria and Germany three weeks ago temporarily suspended EU regulations on asylum and allowed in all refugees from Syria, which angered all European neighbors."

"If I remember correctly, we returned more than 5,000 people from Austria, primarily to Bulgaria and Romania. In order for the asylum system to function, there must be an effective policy to return migrants, but there is still much to do," said Mikl-Leitner.

The Austrian minister stressed that migrants submit only a handful of asylum requests in safe countries like Croatia or Slovenia - "which suggests they are not looking for safety but are choosing the most economically attractive countries."

"If refugees arriving from Slovenia and Croatia to Austria seek asylum, we will return them to Croatia and Slovenia," she said.