BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on the migrant influx in Europe (all times local):

11:55 a.m.

A group of 28 refugees from Syria and Iraq have arrived in Slovenia as part of an EU relocation plan to deal with the migrant crisis.

The refugees came Thursday from Greece where thousands have been stuck for months following the closure of the so-called Balkan corridor toward the wealthy EU nations.

Slovenia is slated to take in 567 refugees from Italy and Greece by the end of next year. Authorities say they will look into each of the asylum requests separately.

Slovenia's interior ministry says the group that arrived Thursday will be taken first to an asylum center in the capital of Ljubljana.

More than 500,000 migrants have passed through Slovenia before EU and Balkan nations imposed restrictions earlier this year in a bid to control the flow.

11:40 a.m.

The European Union has decided with immediate effect to allow Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway to keep border controls in place for up to six months to deal with the migrant influx.

EU headquarters said in a statement Thursday that the controls should be "targeted and limited in scope, frequency, location and time, to what is strictly necessary to respond to the serious threat and to safeguard public policy and internal security."

It said the countries should inform each other of exactly where they plan to carry out the controls.

Germany reintroduced ID checks last year to cope with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants.

Its legal avenues for keeping the controls in place were set to expire on Friday without this EU decision.

11:30 a.m.

Germany's foreign minister says "the ball is in Turkey's court" as the Turkish government and the European Union face off over conditions for Turkish citizens to be granted visa-free travel to Europe.

The visa waiver is one of the incentives offered by the EU for Turkey to stop migrants leaving for Europe and take back those who do arrive. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier acknowledged Thursday "we have a strong interest in this agreement on migration not collapsing."

Turkey was given conditions to secure the visa waiver. The main obstacle is Ankara's refusal to narrow its definition of "terrorist" and "terrorist act" amid concerns that journalists and political dissenters could be targeted.

Steinmeier said: "If Turkey fulfills its commitments, then I would be for fulfilling our commitments and allowing visa liberalization."