The Czech Republic is among several central European countries to have sparred with Germany and others over accepting some of the hundreds of thousands of people flooding into Europe, mostly fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The matter must now be ratified by European Union leaders in Brussels on Wednesday.

EU Ministers are in Brussels to discuss relocating 120,000 people.

Croatian officials said that 2,400 migrants had entered the country in just the past 12 hours.

“We were only trying to understand the situation better”, Zaoralek said.

The number of those needing relocation will probably have to be revised upwards significantly, she said.

More than 430,000 people have already braved risky sea crossings and arduous land treks to make it into Europe this year, heaping pressure on countries along the migrant trail, some of which have closed their borders, while others have diverted the flow elsewhere.

Under the EU’s constitution, a country that does not agree with a policy on migration imposed upon it could have the right to appeal to the European Council – if it feels “the fundamental principles of its social security or legal system are under threat”.

Fico expects the decision of the interior ministers to significantly influence the EU summit scheduled for September 23, he said at the session of the European affairs parliamentary committee.

The Slovakian prime minister has said that his country will refuse to implement the deal to re-locate migrants.

British Home Secretary Theresa May has defended the UK’s decision not to take part in this scheme: “We have announced that we will be taking more refugees direct from the Syrian refugee camps”.

Slovak media used strong words to express bitter feelings after European Union interior ministers approved a plan to relocate 120,000 asylum-seekers.

They also agreed more should be done to return migrants who do not have a genuine claim for asylum, a Downing Street spokesman said.

The remaining 54,000 were to come from Hungary but this number is now being held “in reserve” until the region’s governments decide where they should go.