Slovenia confirms new EU refugee plan to accept 631 people

Slovenian Interior Minister Vesna Gyorkos Znidar confirmed that Slovenia would take in 631 persons as part of its participation in the European Union (EU)-proposed program to resettle 120,000 refugees from Italy, Greece and Hungary in other EU member states.

Together with the resettlement agreement from July, when Slovenia committed to receiving 230 refugees, the country is to take in a total of 861 persons and not 1,126 as speculated in the media recently, the minister told told the nation's parliamentary EU Affairs Committee on Friday.

Slovenia said it was ready to receive additional refugees, but "we insist that solidarity must be voluntary", Gyorkos Znidar added as she briefed the committee ahead of her attendance next Monday to the meeting of EU interior ministers dedicated to the issue.

Like in July, the government supports the position that the capacities of individual countries, security situations and increased pressure on borders should be taken into account when determining numbers, the minister expressed according the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

"Slovenia in particular must point this out given its specific geographical position, considering the current situation, there is a relatively high probability that the pressure of migrants on our borders will increase in the future."

Gyorkos Znidar concluded that solidarity is necessary not only from a humanitarian aspect, but also from a pragmatic aspect as it is in Slovenia's interests to help other member states, which would then return the favour in the future if needed.

Source: XINHUA