Leaders of the European Union (EU) and Balkan states have held an emergency meeting to discuss ways of tackling the unprecedented influx of refugees into Europe.

Heads of eight hard-hit EU countries, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia, plus the leaders of Serbia and Macedonia participated in the Sunday summit in Brussels, called by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

The summit was necessary to promote greater cooperation “in view of the unfolding emergency,” Juncker’s office said.

In an interview published on Sunday by German newspaper, Bild, Juncker called on European states to stop sending asylum seekers to neighboring countries without obtaining authorization from the adjoining state.

“The European Commission expects everyone to obey the rules of the game if we don’t want to put Schengen at risk,” Juncker said, pointing to the EU’s border-free zone.

The Schengen zone allows visa-free travel between 26 European countries that have abolished passport and any other kind of border control. 

Europe is facing record arrivals with over 47,500 people entering Slovenia, a country whose population is just 2 million, over the past week. Wrestling to cope with the influx of refugees, the tiny EU state has asked Brussels for 140 million euros (USD 155 million) as well as police backup and logistical support.

With winter approaching, Juncker further said “we will soon witness families dying wretchedly in chilly rivers in the Balkans.

Amnesty International also warned on Saturday of a humanitarian tragedy if refugees are stranded at frontiers in winter.

According to the International Organization for Migration, over 600,000 people fleeing foreign-backed wars, terrorism, and unrest in the Middle East and North Africa have landed on European shores this year after making dangerous sea journeys from Turkey to Greece and across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. More than 3,000 have died or gone missing trying to reach Europe.