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Czech to accept Syrian refugees directly from Turkey

Xinhua, March 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka on Tuesday said his country was ready to accept Syrian refugees directly from Turkey, and that this action could fill in a part of the existing quotas set for the relocation of refugees within the European Union(EU).

Sobotka said the move would not involve new quotas or new systems, but would implement a part of the existing quotas.

"The only difference is to take 20 or 30 Syrians from Turkey instead of taking 20 or 30 Syrians from Greece," he said.

Sobotka said he expected the transfers of Syrians from Turkey would only be temporary.

The Czech Republic pledged to voluntarily accept 1,100 migrants from Italy and Greece in 2015. According to a proposal approved by the EU in September 2015, the country must accept a further 1,691 refugees as part of a plan to redistribute 160,000 refugees across the EU. Enditem