Sutaj Estok: Slovakia Rejects Migration Quota, Will Seek Exemption

Brussels/Bratislava, 8 December (TASR) – Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok reiterated after Monday's meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels that Slovakia rejects the mechanism of mandatory solidarity in the redistribution of asylum applicants, and he stated that the country should receive an exemption in view of the tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees that it has taken in since the outbreak of the war, TASR learnt on the same day. Under the agreement, EU-member states in 2026 must either accept a set number of migrants, pay a financial contribution for those that they don't accept, or provide alternative support to countries most burdened by migration pressure. These include Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Italy. Some states, such as the Czech Republic and Poland, may be exempt from contributing next year, but Slovakia is not among them. "I stressed to my colleagues that I don't understand why Slovakia wasn't included among the countries eligible for an exemption, as we have taken in tens of thousands of refugees from Ukraine. For this reason, we couldn't support this part concerning the pact on illegal migration," said Sutaj Estok. He further emphasised that Slovakia, alongside Hungary, will not support any of the solidarity alternatives unless talks on an exemption for Slovakia are reopened. He also stated that the government doesn't support the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum as a whole, as reflected in the government manifesto. In addition, the ministers approved a position on legislative proposals aimed at speeding up and improving the efficiency of asylum procedures and returns of applicants not entitled to protection in the EU. These relate to regulations concerning a safe third country and a safe country of origin. Sutaj Estok welcomed such a step. "Together with strong protection of the external borders, this is one of the measures that should help to combat illegal migration," he said, while expressing disappointment at the slow pace of the overall process. mf/df