About 600 migrants were prevented from entering Croatia last night, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Thursday, adding that all of Europe is faced with migration pressure as millions of people from Africa and the Middle East see their future in Europe.

Last night’s figure was “unprecedented,” he told the press. “Those who enter, in line with European legislation, have certain rights and we respect them. However, we will respect their rights by setting the rules ourselves, meaning that we will bring them to registration centres in an organised fashion and they will leave them also in an organised fashion.”

One such centre should be opened near Krnjak in Karlovac County where a military training area with 55 buildings used to be. Last week, about 100 local residents protested against turning the abandoned area into a migrant registration centre.

“It’s in everyone’s interest that migrants are relocated from city centres and parks. In the buildings above Krnjak we can do all the administrative jobs we must do in line with European and national legislation, while also creating conditions so that our citizens feel it the least possible,” Bozinovic said.

The migration pressure can’t go away overnight because there are millions of migrants, he said, adding that besides an increase in refugees on all routes, the number of arrested smugglers has also gone up.

“This year the police arrested over 850 smugglers, which is a record number. The smuggling chains outside Europe will always find people, including our citizens, who stand ready to work against the interests of their state for not a little money.”