Cerar will ask EU states to help at Macedonia-Greece border

Cerar met Merkel

PM Miro Cerar met German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. The main topic of their meeting was the refugee crisis. He emphasized the importance of finding a solution for problems at the so-called Balkan route.

After the meeting Cerar said that Merkel and he agreed that Europe should continue the efforts for finding a common solution for solving the refugee problem in the source countries, e.g. in Syria, Lebanon, and other countries. They also agreed that the EU's outside borders should be better protected.

Cerar also presented to Merkel the proposal to be sent in the coming days to colleagues from other European countries as well, proposing an efficient solution to the refugee crisis at the Balkan and Central European route. If the solution is not found during next weeks or months, we will be facing a severe crisis, the consequence of which might be new walls separating European countries, and consequently a disintegration of the EU, he warns.

Cerar suggests tighter control at the Macedonian-Greek border
The first among Cerar's proposals is the assistance of the Frontex agency at control of the outside borders, and strengthening of the coastguard with police and other units from all the European states. The second part of the proposal includes help to Macedonia at the Macedonia-Greece border, where in Cerar's opinion the European countries should help prevent illegal migrations.

In Cerar's opinion the Balkan route would be thus closed, which would allow removal of the fence from the Slovenian-Croatian border. Should other countries fail to respond to Cerar's proposal, and Austria and Germany continue refusing admittance of refugees into their countries, Slovenia will have to start preventing refugees from crossing our border as well.

"We simply cannot allow the situation in which we could, within a couple of days, face several tens of thousands refugees in Slovenia, without being able to provide for them adequately. For them it would mean a humanitarian crisis, and for Slovenia a safety crisis," Cerar said, and explained that among the refugees waiting at the European crossings there are also people from the safe countries. These people should be given help in their source countries, or "closer to their cultural background." Cultural differences are already causing great problems, Cerar said.

G. K., A. Č., L. L., translated by G. K.