Slovenia will extend police checks on its borders with Croatia and Hungary by another six months to 21 June 2025, after Italy announced an extension of the measure on its border with Slovenia.

The Slovenian government announced the decision on 21 November, a month before the latest six-month extension of the measure would have expired.

The Government Communication Office cited the elevated terrorism threat as the reason for the extension, saying the measure would ensure a high level of security for all citizens.

The police will carry out border checks in a way that will have a minimal impact on the passengers, environment and business, and in particular on the lives of those living along the border, it said.

The government will inform other EU member states, the European Commission and the European Parliament of the extension of the border checks, in line with Article 27 of the Schengen Borders Code.

Slovenia first reinstated police controls at what are internal Schengen borders with Croatia and Hungary on 21 October 2023, following Italy's suit.

At the time both countries cited the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East and the increased threat of terrorism as the reason.

Since imposing the measure, Slovenia has seen a drop in illegal migration.

In the first ten months of this year, the police handled 41,400 cases of illegal crossing of the border, 18% fewer than in the same period a year ago. They have arrested 468 people smugglers so far this year.

Austria has also recently extended its border controls with Slovenia by six months, until 11 May 2025. It introduced them at the peak of the refugee crisis in 2015.

Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands also have internal border controls, and on 9 December the Netherlands will introduce them at its borders with Belgium and Germany.