By Andre Jahnke and Boris Babic, DPA/Passau, Germany

The number of migrants at the German-Austrian border showed no signs of easing yesterday after the two countries agreed to enforce stricter controls at five border checkpoints. Approximately 1,000 people were waiting for Germany-bound shuttles yesterday morning on the Austrian side at the crossings of Wegscheid and Simbach am Inn.
More than 5,500 migrants arrived at the border area on Friday.
The border between Germany and Austria is the last leg for tens of thousands of refugees using the so-called Balkan route to try to reach wealthy Western European countries.
According to a new agreement that took effect yesterday, Germany and Austria have designated five exclusive crossings along their shared border as handover and inspection points. Located in Germany’s south-eastern state of Bavaria, they are: Wegscheid; Neuhaus am Inn; Simbach; Freilassing; and Laufen.
On the Austrian side of the crossings, tents equipped for cold weather conditions had already been erected to hold around 1,000 people. Authorities on the German side planned to increase the number of buses used to bring migrants to emergency accommodation or reception centres.
The newly designated migrant crossing points will free up the heavily used border checkpoint at Passau-Achleiten, which was already being used for normal traffic Friday evening.
Farther south-east on the Balkan route, Croatia reported the first death among more than 290,000 refugees who passed through the country since mid-September. The 63-year old Afghan woman, who died of an apparent heart attack in the Opatovac reception camp, will be buried at the nearest Muslim cemetery under an arrangement between the family, authorities and UNHCR, police told the 24Sata daily.
Slovenia, meanwhile, suspended international railway traffic with Croatia just a few hours after restoring it Friday, STA news agency reported.
The trains were previously stopped on October 16 because of the refugee crisis. The state railway company did not give the reason for the renewed suspension.
A Slovenian interior ministry spokesman said Friday that the situation with the refugees was “much calmer” than in previous days. The country had 6,375 refugees in reception centres yesterday morning, compared to around 10,000 24 hours earlier. More than half, around 3,600, were waiting for transfer to Austria at the exit point in Sentilj, according to police data.
As thousands trekked across the Balkans by foot, Greek officials and fishermen were yesterday scouring the waters off the Greek island of Lesbos after a boat with about 150 refugees capsized amid rough waters. Greek state radio reported that the rescue efforts were hampered by strong winds that kicked up high waves. The sinking came hours after coast guard officers rescued a group of 35 people trying to reach Greece by boat after their vessel sank.