Slovenia fails to return Syrian refugees to Hungary

The 14 Syrian refugees held by the Slovenian police last week after being found illegally entering the country from Hungary are to remain in Slovenia after Hungarian authorities declined to take them back on Tuesday.

Slovenia had tried to hand these refugees back to Hungary in accordance with EU rules because none of them had asked to be granted asylum in Slovenia, said Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

But the Hungarian authorities rejected their return on Tuesday during negotiations between law enforcement representatives of both countries, according to the Slovenian police in the Murska Sobota region.

The refugees will be returned to the aliens' center in Postojna in the south of the country, according to police quoted by STA's report.

Slovenian interior ministry state secretary Bostjan Sefic had told reporters on Monday the refugees would stay in Slovenia if Hungary refused to take them. He said there was no doubt they had come to Slovenia from Hungary.

The group was held by the police in the wee hours last Thursday as they were walking along the motorway near the north-eastern town of Lendava heading for Austria.

Source: XINHUA