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Slovak PM sees immigration quotas as irrational

Xinhua, September 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The prime ministerial summit involving Slovakia's Robert Fico, the Czech Republic's Bohuslav Sobotka and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann in Bratislava on Monday didn't result in any breakthrough in the diverging views on the introduction of immigration quotas as held by Slovakia and the Czech Republic on one side and Austria on the other side.

"The quotas are irrational," stressed Fico, adding that immigrants don't want to remain in Slovakia anyway, and the country doesn't have any instruments to keep them here.

Nevertheless, all three officials concurred on the need to improve the protection of the outer Schengen borders.

"Maybe even in military terms," pointed out Fico. He added that if Greece, Italy and Hungary need help in this, Slovakia is ready to contribute in financial, material and personnel terms.

The officials further debated the setting up of safety zones in European countries facing the strongest influx of immigrants to allow to distinguish those who are escaping war and economic immigrants.

Slovakia is also ready to contribute in this regard, but everything will depend on an agreement with the rest of the EU countries. According to Fico, there's also a security dimension to the problem, he stressed, noting that the mass of people coming to Europe, demonstrably, also includes figures from the Islamic State. Endit