Croatia lifts blockade of Serbian border after spat over refugees

Croatian police said Friday the border is now open "to all traffic without restrictions."

A Croatian police officer guards migrant at Serbian Orthodox cemetery on no man’s land at the Sid border crossing between Serbia and Croatia near Sid, about 100 kilometers west from Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. Tensions escalated between Serbia and Croatia on Thursday as the long-time foes struggled to come up with a coherent way to deal with tens of thousands of migrants streaming through the Balkan nations to seek sanctuary in other parts of Europe. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Croatia has lifted its blockade off the border with Serbia after a spat between the longtime Balkan rivals over a migrant surge.

Croatian police said Friday the border is now open “to all traffic without restrictions.”

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Serbian interior minister Nebojsa Stefanovic has welcomed Croatia’s decision to reopen the border between them.

He calls it “a great victory for all the citizens of Serbia.”

The two states have traded accusations over how to manage the influx of asylum-seekers, imposing border restrictions on cargo and civilian crossings.

EU officials had called on Croatia to lift the blockade that has cost the two states millions of dollars.

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The two nations had traded accusations over how to manage the tens of thousands of migrants crossing their territories to get to Western Europe, imposing border restrictions on cargo and civilian crossings.

EU officials had urged Croatia to lift the blockade that has cost the two nations millions of dollars.

Croatia has accused Serbia of busing migrants to its border instead of channeling them north to Hungary.

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