Solberg criticized Slovakia for lack of involvement in acceptance of asylum seekers

Prime Minister Erna Solberg.Photo: Audun Braastad / NTB scanpix

Slovakia refuses to accept new EU quota system for asylum seekers. Prime Minister Erna Solberg believes everyone must take their share of the responsibility.

In summer Slovakia took over the Presidency of the EU. It coincides with the country plaintiff EU role to avoid asylum quota which Slovakia has been awarded.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has made it very clear that he will not let the EU force Slovakia to accept asylum seekers and certainly not Muslim ones. Fico said If Slovakia should receive asylum seekers then they have to be Christians.

When Prime Minister Erna Solberg met Fico to have political talks in Bratislava on Tuesday, migration was one of the major issues.

Solberg does not deny that she disagrees with Fico.
– We believe there must be a sharing of responsibility in Europe on these areas. Here Slovakia is not necessarily taken their share of the responsibility, says Solberg to the news agency NTB.

Asylum seekers acceptance

When the EU made its new system last year it has been decided that Slovakia must accept total of 802 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy. EU’s overall aim is to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers to help the two countries.

Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania voted against all the quota system, but were overrun by the other EU countries.

Norway for its part has decided to participate voluntarily in the system. In all, 1,500 asylum seekers to be moved from Greece and Italy to Norway.

– If we are to have European solidarity, we have to solve European problems jointly and migration challenge is a common European problem. It may not be such that one can only take part in the positive aspects of EU cooperation but also must take part in the taking responsibilities, says Solberg.

After talking with Solberg on Tuesday afternoon Fico insured that Slovakia supports the principle of solidarity.

– But we have also expressed the desire that the EU gives member states greater flexibility, he said when the two held a joint news conference.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today

1 Comment on "Solberg criticized Slovakia for lack of involvement in acceptance of asylum seekers"

  1. Gregory Evans | 24. August 2016 at 09:30 |

    WOW we better not look at Norway’s efforts over the last 60 years when you were and are one of the wealthiest nations in the world.

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