Ranko Ostojić

The two Nigerian students who said the Croatian police expelled them to Bosnia, assuming that, as Africans, they were illegal immigrants, will soon be returned home - but the mystery around their case has not been cleared up.

On Saturday, Bernardic, 36, was elected leader of the SDP, Croatia's strongest opposition party, beating opponent and former interior minister Ranko Ostojic.

Elections for a new head of Croatia's main centre-left opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, are vital no only for reviving the damaged image of the party but to restore some "balance" to Croatia's political scene, political analyst Davor Gjenero told BIRN.

Tonino Picula and Ranko Ostojic said they would stand for the leadership of Croatia's leading centre-left Social Democratic Party, SDP, after the party's current president Zoran Milanovic announced on Monday that he will not run for internal elections that will be scheduled within five months.

Both men hope to reverse the decline in the party's popularity by turning it to the left.

Bozo Petrov, head of MOST, the party that emerged as a kingmaker from the general election, on Thursday declined to take part in a TV duel with Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic over claims that he has been under police surveillance.

Aleksandar Vulin, Serbia's minister for refugees, on Thursday said Serbia would no longer allow in "economic" migrants after Slovenia and Croatia announced they had barred such migrants from their countries.

Four states along Europe's Balkan refugee corridor shut their borders on Nov. 19 to those not coming from war-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq, leaving thousands of others seeking a better life in Europe stranded at border crossings.

Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic on Thursday said Croatia was demanding am EU meeting in order to implement the European Commission plan on refugees.

The opposition conservative party, Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), claimed victory in the parliamentary elections, which were held in the country on Sunday.

However HDZ will face challenges in forming a government as partial results show that the party is set to win about 60 seats, while the ruling alliance led by the Social Democrats is expected to have 50 MPs.

Some refugees from the Middle East have started to enter Croatia from neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, opening up a potential new route towards Germany and northwest Europe.