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Slovenian business fears huge losses if Schengen "collapsed"

Xinhua, January 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

Slovenia's biggest business association has warned that companies would suffer millions of euros in damages if the Schengen zone were to collapse due to the migration crisis.

The national Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said in its press release on Thursday that if every lorry needed just an hour more at the border customs, the cost to businesses would be 8 million euros (8.66 million U.S. dollars) per year.

Similarly, if every tenth Italian or Austrian planning to vacation in Slovenia changed their mind about visiting the country, the tourism industry would lose 55 million euros, the Slovenian Press Agency reported, quoting the press release.

Slovenia is a strongly export-oriented economy and has a well-developed logistics industry, both of which would suffer in the event of border closures.

"It is crucial for the Slovenian economy that the government back all solutions at the European level which strengthens security on (the EU's) external border, and to protect the interests of the Slovenian economy on the internal borders," the press release read. Endit