The war between Israel and Hamas can lead to an influx of illegal migrants, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday evening, after a meeting of the leadership of his HDZ party in Zagreb.

The developments following Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel are producing serious consequences that can result in new tides of illegal migration, the premier told the press.

The solution is, Plenkovic believes, to ensure tight control of the EU external border, that is, the border between Greece and Turkey and between Bulgaria and Turkey, while southeastern European countries that are not EU members should fully adjust their visa regimes with the EU’s visa policy.

Currently, it is possible for migrants to arrive by plane in Sarajevo or Belgrade, where they are taken over by smugglers who take them towards green borders on their way to Croatia or western Europe, said the PM.

Asked by the press to comment on former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s call on Slovenians to procure legal weapons and get armed and ready for an influx of illegal migrants, Plenkovic answered: “We would never say something like that.”

“Every law-based country has institutions that maintain public peace and order,” he said, referring to the law-enforcement authorities.