Between 200 and 300 people gathered in front of the seat of the municipality, where the meeting of its leadership and the interior ministry state secretary Boštjan Šefic took place. The protesters were determined to show that migrants were not welcome in Kidričevo. According to them, the town is too small to accept such a mass of people.

The mayor of Kidričevo, Anton Leskovar, sent a letter to the interior ministry last week. He demanded an explanation regarding the government’s plans and expressed disagreement with planning a centre in a community without informing the municipality and its inhabitants. Instead, Leskovar had learnt about this through the social networks.

"The current situation that Kidričevo and the entire territory of the municipality have found themselves in, is worrying and unacceptable. We insist that there is no excuse for potential planning of such centre without informing the local community. We believe that we, the people who live here, will decide whether to set up such a centre or not," wrote Leskovar, demanding explanations from the ministry.

The Interior Ministry has explained that several options for locations of accommodation centres are being studied. Various options are being prepared, and these will be the basis for making appropriate decisions, but not without consulting the authorities of the local communities first.

"We’re examining the option of adapting a state facility which the Slovenian army uses near Kidričevo, but no decisions have been reached yet," emphasizes the interior ministry, explaining that the reason for searching new locations is the closing of other centres: the centre in Gornja Radgona in mid-January and the one in Celje at the end of February, which is why they need to be replaced.

G. C.; translated by K. Z.