The first contingency plan, drafted in 2015 during the biggest refugee wave, already called for the settlement of a small group at Debeli Rtič. At the time, the Municipality of Ankaran welcomed the proposal. However, the new proposal, passed by the government in June, was drafted without any participation of Ankaran, says the municipality. The plan calls for 120 refugees to be housed on the site. The municipality has asked the government to make changes to the plan, says Mayor Gregor Strmčnik.

"The government hasn't fulfilled its basic legal obligations regarding the contingency plan; it also hasn't specified the timeline when the youth facility at Debeli Rtič would be used for asylum seekers. The government's unilateral decision is illegal because it intrudes into the municipality's financial authority. Finally, the current zoning of the facility does not allow an asylum center to be set up there."

A branch of the asylum center would be located in a local protected park, says Strmčnik, even though it doesn't belong there. He adds that the municipality wrote to the government regarding this matter about a month ago but never received a reply. The Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants reassured the public last week that any such decisions are passed with the cooperation of key institutions, NGOs, and local communities that participate in the integration process, and that coordinating meetings will take pace as necessary. The municipality is prepared to help a young migrant family integrate into life in Slovenia.