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Amendments to controversial aliens act to comply with international conventions: Slovenian PM

Xinhua, January 17, 2017 Adjust font size:

Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said on Monday the controversial changes to the aliens act would be refined in the parliament to make sure they comply with international conventions and the Constitution, local media reported.

Amending the aliens act cannot be interpreted in a way that would put human rights or security in question, the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) reported, quoting Cerar.

Speaking to local press after a visit to an asylum centre in Ljubljana, Cerar said international and constitutional law experts had been drafting the changes, which were criticised by Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland last week.

Jagland warned in an open letter to Cerar that the amendments raised a number of issues under the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to due process and the consideration of individual circumstances in the processing of asylum seekers' applications, said the STA report.

However, Cerar reiterated on Monday that it was clear that if countries to the north of Slovenia, which have much greater capacities, were closing their borders, Slovenia too must secure the human rights of both its citizens and migrants, as it was subject to an influx of illegal migration from all sides.

He said, according to the STA report, he had replied to Jagland and explained to him that Slovenia had dealt with the 2015 migration wave very humanely, while still ensuring an appropriate level of security.

Moreover, the prime minister said that the proposed changes were aimed at preparing the ground for effective management of extreme situations, if the state's security were at risk.

The controversial motion would give the police power in special circumstances to turn down and send back illegal migrants who do not qualify for asylum. Endit