“There will be NO asylum centre in Brežice!” the Mayor of Brežice, Ivan Molan, announced to those gathered at the protest against the asylum centre on Sunday. The people are fed up with the arbitrariness of the Golob government and are protesting against the planned accommodation facilities for violent asylum seekers. The people who gathered at the protest were also addressed by Branko Grims, an MP of the Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS), who stressed that “this shameless, unacceptable and illegal policy of the Golob government must come to an end.” We asked Nataša Avšič Bogovič, an MP of the ruling Freedom Movement party (Gibanje Svoboda) from Brežice, whether she had attended Sunday’s protest as well. You can also write to the MP yourself (here: https://www.dz-rs.si/wps/portal/en/Home/pos/pisitePoslancu?idOseba=P370).
On Sunday, a protest was held in Posavje, specifically in the Obrežje area, against the establishment of an asylum centre that has recently been announced by the government of Robert Golob. The protest started at 8:30 a.m., in the parking lot of the store Lesnina in Obrežje. It should be pointed out that the authorities in this area are planning to build the asylum home on a platform next to the international border crossing – in the buildings that have so far been used as stables. Since these are not habitable, According to the Director of the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants, containers appropriate for housing and tents are to be placed on the platform.
According to unofficial information, up to 900 asylum seekers are expected to be accommodated at the facilities in Obrežje, and they would be able to move freely around the municipality. In practice, this would probably result in illegal migrants first being registered at the otherwise closed registration centre, which is also being set up in the area. As they all express their intention to seek asylum in our country, they would then be transferred to the neighbouring tents and containers, i.e. to the Obrežje branch of the asylum centre.
SDS MP Branko Grims also attended the event, and he said the following: “We in the SDS party have drafted and tabled a law which will outlaw this unsustainable government policy; because, in accordance with the law on local self-government, in accordance with the Constitution and in accordance with the European Charter on Local Self-Government, the consent of the local community will be required for any accommodation of migrants, and especially for the construction of a possible asylum centre or its branch.”
He added that the current government should finally realise the importance of respecting the law and defending the border against mass migration, as any tolerance of mass migration is a violation of the law for which those responsible should be held accountable in court. He stressed the need to ensure the security and prosperity of the Slovenian population, which will enable all citizens, and especially our children, to live a good life. In this context, he supports all those who have gathered on Sunday in Obrežje to protest the establishment of the asylum centre.
“I want them to express themselves clearly enough to be heard all the way to Ljubljana; and I want this shameless and unacceptable policy of the Golob government and its illegal practice of allowing the mass entry of migrants across the border to come to an end,” MP Grims stressed. Worst of all, the government is trying to shift the consequences of its actions onto the local population, which is facing security, social and other problems as a result of illegal migration. This policy must end. “I am glad that the people are finally standing up to this, I personally, as well as all of us in the SDS party, fully support this, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the will of the people and the constitutional principles are respected. The people have the power in Slovenia!”
We have seen many furious reactions from protesters on social media, some of which we have also published below.
The official profile of the Kranj branch of the Slovenian Democratic Youth (Slovenska demokratska mladina – SDM), which is the youth wing of the SDS party, wrote on the social media X: “Today, at a protest rally against the asylum centre at the Slovenska vas border crossing. We love our home and family, so we will not give up our homeland!” They also added a photo of several protesters. Former Prime Minister and President of the Slovenian Democratic Party, Janez Janša, also expressed his support by retweeting a tweet quoting the Mayor of Brežice saying that there will be no asylum centre there. “That’s right! Amen,” Janša wrote, and he even added a thumbs up.
We also saw several organisations express their support for the protest, such as the Voice of Pensioners and the media outlet Portal e-maribor.si. The organisation Dolenjski list wrote: “A protest rally against the asylum centre in Obrežje is currently going on in Slovenska vas. They stopped traffic by crossing the road, which resulted in a long line of vehicles forming. Banners with slogans against the asylum centre, with which the inhabitants are trying to communicate that they are afraid. Branko Grims also addressed the gathering.” We also saw the journalist and publicist Jože Biščak at the protest, and the Director of Nova24TV, Boris Tomašič, attended the rally as well, also tweeting in support: “The people have had ENOUGH! The people of Brežice have made a stand against the asylum centre, too. Stop illegal migration!” he wrote.
Domen Mezeg
