Two Syrians have died as a result of a collision in Slovenia, in which a people-smuggler lost control of a vehicle containing a total of eight illegal migrants.
The accident occurred on a motorway between the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana and Italy, according to police, who say that a third passenger, hidden in the trunk of the vehicle, was also injured, AFP reports.
Investigators identified the driver of the vehicle as a 42-tear-old Bosnian national who had entered Slovenia via Croatia.
The Bosnian border with Croatia has become a hotspot for attempted crossings by illegal migrants and asylum seekers in recent months.
Earlier this week, a migrant attempting to cross into Croatia was shot by border police after resisting officers and slightly wounded.
The incident came after another migrant was seriously wounded in a shooting that Croatian police said was accidental.
Last year, a caravan of hundreds of migrants attempted to force their way through the border into Croatia and many were injured in the resulting clashes between migrants and the police.
As the arrivals have increased, so too has membership in citizen groups which patrol the Slovenian border with Croatia.
One group, known as the “village guard”, have claimed to be supporting existing law enforcement officials and said they had even rescued a Pakistani migrant who had been stabbed and robbed by other migrants, stating that their actions likely saved the man’s life.
The Slovenian government, however, has taken a different view, and earlier this week present a bill to limit the activities of civilian groups, with fines of up to 2,000 euros for anyone disturbing the peace while dressing in uniforms or carrying weapons along the border.