Estonia tries to resettle EU-rationed refugees

Estonia started on Tuesday a research for domestic settlement of around 200 EU-rationed refugees as its two ministers meeting the representatives of local authorities across Estonia to address concerns about refugees and migration.

The Minister of Internal Affairs Hanno Pevkur and Minister of Social Protection Margus Tsahkna attended the scheduled meetings for Johvi and Tartu on Tuesday, and are expected to attend the meetings in Parnu and Tallinn on Wednesday, which will be attended by over 100 governors on county, town and municipality level.

"Just like Estonia is showing solidarity with the EU in solving the refugee question, local municipalities can show solidarity in helping refugees in Estonia," Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) quoted Pevkur as saying.

Since it is the municipalities that will carry the weight in a resettlement of refugees, it is important to listen to their views and suggestions, he added.

"We must be proactive in ensuring that refugees assimilate into Estonian society," Tsahkna said. "To achieve this task together, we must share information, introduce our plans and listen to the concerns of local municipalities," he added.

Tsahkna told ERR Tuesday afternoon that the refugees will not come to Estonia all at once, but gradually over two years.

He said that before refugee families will be flown to Estonia, an accommodation will be sought and supporting social workers arranged. According to the minister, there will be no lack of housing.

Estonia will accept 20 people that have already been granted refugee status by the United Nations, as well as 130 displaced persons that are currently held in Italy and Greece and have not been given the legal status yet.

Those people will have to go through the identification and fingerprint process, which Estonia will conduct in cooperation with Italian and Greek authorities.

It was decided at a meeting of the interior ministers of the European Union in Brussels on Monday that the union will help 60,000 displaced persons, of whom Estonia will resettle 150.

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said earlier that it's clear now that Estonia will not accept more than 200 people, which the country can manage.