Situation calm in Slovakia following arrival of asylum seekers

Eighteen asylum seekers from Austria are now living in the refugee facility in Gabcikovo in Southern Slovakia and the situation in the village is calm, announced Gabcikovo mayor Ivan Fenes on Sunday.

Turning to the issue of the local referendum on Aug. 2 in which an overwhelming majority of the village's inhabitants opposed the placement of asylum seekers there, Fenes said that this wasn't a waste of time notwithstanding the fact that the asylum seekers have been brought there anyway.

"I believe that the concerns of our people are in a way justified, but we're seeking to appease them and we're doing all we can in conjunction with the police to make sure that our citizens feel safe," said Fenes, who added that he's received assurances to this effect from Slovak Police Corps President Tibor Gaspar and Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak.

The first group of people, mostly men from Syria, who are seeking asylum in Austria, arrived in Gabcikovo on Thursday.

Kalinak said that Slovakia in the long term views the mandatory distribution of migrants among EU countries as incorrect, but the country is ready to provide temporary shelter to people who are applying for asylum in other countries. Enditem