Ljubljana - The parliamentary Interior Affairs Committee did not endorse any of the four resolutions the opposition SDS put forward to prevent illegal crossings of the border, as it debated views on how to secure the border after the government decided to remove the fence set up after the 2015/16 migration crisis along the border with Croatia.

The largest opposition party had called the committee's emergency session because it believes removing the fence does not contribute to safety of Slovenian citizens.

The SDS insists that illegal crossings of the border are one of Slovenia's biggest security problem.

Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar responded by saying that Slovenia is a safe country, accusing the SDS of manipulation to scare citizens and spread the fear of foreigners.

SDS MP Anton Šturbej presented some "worrying" statistics, as over 8,200 instances of illegal crossing of the border was recorded in the first seven months, up from 4,550 in the same period last year.

Žan Mahnič from the SDS said fence on the border was important symbolically, sending a clear signal to migrants that they are not welcome if entering unlawfully.

SDS MPs also said that Austria and Italy were not happy with Slovenia's decision to remove the fence, which the minister denied.

Mahnič said that since Italy is very likely to get a right-wing government, it "will tighten procedures at the Slovenian-Italian border", causing problems for Slovenia.

The minister meanwhile said that the removal of the fence was largely welcomed by locals and mayors along the border with Croatia.

She said the situation had significantly changed since the fence was set up after 2015 when as many as 360,000 people crossed the border during the migration crisis.

"The fence as a temporary tool [during the 2015 migration crisis] is losing its legitimacy, so the government's decision to remove the technical barriers is logical."

She said the fence will be replaced by other means to ensure security, including drones and cameras to monitor the border, which are being procured.

"In a modern migration society, there is no room for razor wires and fences, neither in our heads nor at the border, especially as Croatia is coming at the the Schengen gate."

Bobnar denied that Austria had protested against Slovenia's removing the fence with the EU and rejected the claims about a potential escalation of migration policy on the Italian border.

The minister met Italian Ambassador to Slovenian Carlo Campanile earlier in the day and she said he had welcomed the fact that Slovenia had started removing the fence.