Serbia 'protects' itself, limits migrant flow

"We're extremely anxious about the latest developments and fear that people will be stranded without any assistance, shelter and food just as winter sets in", said Stephane Moissaing, the Doctors Without Borders head in Serbia.

About 500 individuals from Iran, Algeria and Morocco assembled on the border line between Macedonia and Greece to protest the closing.

Mohammed Mirzam, 30, from Afghanistan knows he will be let through, but his wife and two children, Ilia, 5, and Elena, 3, are Iranian nationals and will not. "We have no money, and we're waiting without any idea of what is to happen".

Syrians, Iraqis, and Afghans make up the majority of the refugees arriving in Europe.

"As of 6pm yesterday evening, Serbia started turning back (to Macedonia) all but Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans", she said.

Earlier a police spokesman in Slovenia confirmed Ljubljana would start returning "economic migrants" arriving through neighbouring Croatia, saying it could only grant passage to those "from countries where there are armed battles".

Among the migrants, 13 want to go back to Lebanon voluntarily and nine are undecided, a source said.

On the Croatia-Serbia border, Croats are allowing in only from these three countries, plus Palestine.

"UNHCR will not believe there is any country which may be excluded from worldwide protection predicated on their nationalities, but every case separately ought to be screened and processed predicated on the values of the case".

The chain reaction was triggered by Slovenia's choice to begin turning back individuals it considers economic migrants along the Balkan migrant course.

Hundreds of people are now stranded on borders. Although Syrians are the biggest group among the asylum-seekers, tens of thousands of people fleeing poverty - such as Pakistanis, Bangladeshis or Sri Lankans - have also joined the surge.

"We must protect our nation".

Later this afternoon, Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said his country had refused to take back 162 people who were rejected by neighboring Slovenia as economic migrants, The Associated Press reported, and also will no longer allow in migrants from war-free countries heading toward Western Europe.

Slovenia's police spokesman Drago Menegalia told the Washington Post that "these foreigners do not apply for global protection, according to European Union laws".

A few Balkan countries are screening refugees at borders, allowing those who can prove they are fleeing conflict in the Middle East and Afghanistan to travel on, but turning back a few from Africa and Asia, witnesses said.