(ANSA-AP) - BUDAPEST - More than 10,000 refugees and other migrants have entered Hungary in a single day, the highest figure this year, as Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he was willing to consider letting people through to Western Europe.

Police said Thursday that 10,046 people arrived in Hungary the day before, surpassing the previous mark of 9,380 set Sept.

14, just before Hungary closed down its border with Serbia.

While nearly all the migrants are now taking a detour and entering from Croatia, Hungary is also building a fence on that border which Orban said would be ready by the weekend.

Early Thursday, however, after a meeting of EU national leaders in Brussels, Orban said Hungary would consider giving the migrants free passage toward Austria and Germany, where many want to go.

Orban cited Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, who "clearly said that if we can only stop them with the fence, then we should rather let them through. This is what must be considered". (ANSA-AP).