On Tuesday, the Minister of the Interior, Boštjan Poklukar, and Director-General of the Police, Senad Jušić, visited Središče ob Dravi, where they met with the Mayor of the municipality. The government decided to set up an asylum centre on their land without consulting the local community. During their visit, the Minister and the head of the police were met by angry protesters.
As we know, the government is refusing to back down from its intentions. When talking about the government’s decision on the location of the asylum centre, Minister Poklukar said that it will be a challenge for the police, but they will ensure security. However, the Mayor of the municipality of Središče ob Dravi and the Interior Minister and Chief of Police have still not reached an agreement on the question of the asylum centre, the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) reports.
A meeting between the Minister, the Director-General of Police and Mayor Toni Jelovica did not lead to an agreement in terms of their positions, but the Minister has stated he is satisfied with the talks. However, he refused to say when they would start installing containers to meet the needs of the centre. “At the moment, the procedures are ongoing, the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants is responsible for this. I am responsible for order in the country, and I want to stress once more that the Slovenian police will ensure security,” he said.
They do not want an asylum centre
On the other hand, Mayor Jelovica said that they had not discussed the asylum centre, but he reiterated the clear position of the municipal council and the citizens. They do not want an asylum centre in their municipality. Regarding the administrative dispute, he added that they were still waiting for the decision of the administrative court. “But we expect that the court will rule in our favour, which means that there will be no asylum centre here,” Jelovica added.
The Interior Minister and the Director-General of the Police, Jušić, also visited the police station in Ormož, where they were briefed on the security situation in that part of the country. Jušić assessed the security situation as good, despite the fact that there has been a 200 percent increase in illegal border crossings. There have been 300 such crossings recorded to date. However, he estimated that the figures had risen only slightly.
Jušić also commented on the situation, saying: “I can assure you that the Slovenian Police will take any and all measures necessary to ensure that citizens feel safe. The site will be properly fenced, and an adequate concentration of police officers will be ensured.”
However, many protesters disagreed with the two high-ranking representatives. Some sent the Minister back to the Prime Minister in an expressive manner, while others called on him to revoke the decision to establish the migrant centre in their area.
Ž. K.
