Report from the press conference of the Slovenian government

Boštjan Šefic, Ministry of Internal Affairs

– “yesterday was succesful without jams (3300 migrants have arrived), we took care of all of them (**comment from Fronta: As we know there was a very problematic jam at Obrežje yesterday where 6 buses had to wait for several hours; there was no infrastructure there (toilets, food, water)
– “because AUT has taken 600 the qouta of max. 2500 per day was met”
– “the train had to wait for the capacities of the arrival centers to be ready again”
– the stucture: Syria, Pakistan, Afganistan, Irak; 528 minors, 1355 women, 1417 men
– 4 Afgans asked for asylum!

– 300 at Gruškovje, 300 Petišovci, 1500 Središče ob Dravi, 400 Gornja Radgona, 350 Dolga Vas
– today they expect 1800 on the train in Središče ob Dravi + 300 in buses at Obrežje
– 328 have crossed in Gornja Radgona today (empty now, waiting for new arrivals), 580 left Šentilj (220 are supposed to remain);
numbers will change during the day
– 1800 on the train from Opatovac to Čakovec – Slovenia refused entry for it today
– Croatia is demanding SLO accepts 5000 per day
– AUT is refusing to accept more then 1500 per day
– “from the early morning in contact with both sides; we can not accept more then are taken from us”
– “we are prepared for the scenario if the numbers would increase, but this is not acceptable since that would mean that SLO would in
10 days have 35000, wich would impead the normal functioning of the state”
– “the prepared operational measures are exclusivly for the RESTRICTION OF THE MIGRATIONAL FLOW – a stronger control of the schengen border”
– “the main goal: to even out the arrivals and departures”
– “we have info that CRO is planing to shelter migrants in the larger area of Zagreb – a strong POSSIBILITY FOR OVERSPILL – we are going to face the difficult task for wich we are well prepared: limitation, control, regulation”
– 264 addiotional members of the police special forces to the regular police force
– they estimate 15000-20000 migrants on the balkan route
– “until now everything under control”
– “the main foreign policy goal: Centers in Greece. Returning of migrants to safe countries, “for them to be able to seek a better or wor-se perspective there””

Head of Civil Protection:

– “stil room for improvement”
– “truble with food: warm meals; there was even refusal of it, because they want to cross the border as soon as possible; It is not fair that food is being thrown away, it is not fair to those who prepare it”
– “3 meetings are being organised: 1. for better coordination, 2. meeting with Philantropia so they would help not only on paper, 3. with retired officers for leading the operations in the centers”
– “they leave a lot of trash; trouble for volunteers, we will try to communicate to them the importance of leaving the trash in the areas decalred for that”
– how much food reserves are there? “lot of dry food (1:1 – karitas, red cross), up to 6000 warm meals can be prepared by the army; a contactional partner if there would be need for more”