Amnesty International has called European Union leaders to put refugee rights above concerns to protect their borders.
Amnesty`s call Saturday came a day before German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to hold talks with Turkish officials on an EU plan that would give concession to Turkey in exchange for stemming the flow of migrants into EU countries.
Officials say the concessions would include an aid package, easier access to EU visas for Turkish citizens and speed-up EU membership talks.
Amnesty said the EU should be looking for ways to "offer safe and legal routes to refugees to reach Europe."
The group said: "A deal premised on keeping refugees in Turkey fundamentally ignores both the challenges they face there and the obvious need for the EU to offer protection."
The first groups of migrants have reached Slovenia`s border, arriving from Croatia on buses. Migrants hoping to reach western Europe have turned that way after Hungary sealed off its territory for them.
Slovenian police say five buses carrying about 300 migrants arrived Saturday to the border checkpoint at Petisovci. Spokeswoman Suzana Raus says migrants will be transferred to a migrant center near the border with Austria after they pass a registration procedure.
Most migrants are expected to move on from Slovenia to Austria and further on to Germany and other more prosperous countries of Western Europe.
Slovenia, a nation of 2 million, has said it wants to control the number of people coming to its territory from Croatia. It has beefed up border police and suspended regular train traffic with Croatia.
Amnesty International Criticizes EU Migrant Deal
17 October 2015
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The latest news as migrants fleeing war or seeking a better life make their way across Europe by the tens of thousands. All times local.
