Austrian President: Slovak help won't solve migration problems

Slovakia's decision to accept 500 asylum seekers transferred from Austria on a temporary basis isn't a solution but a gesture and a symbol, stated Austrian President Heinz Fischer after meeting Slovak President Andrej Kiska in Bratislava on Monday. He went on to explain that Austria expects 70,000 asylum applications this year, with some 200 new applications recorded every day. Its capacities in immigration camps have been exhausted, however. His Slovak counterpart admitted that Slovakia isn't ready to accept asylum seekers, which has been shown by the fact that only a few dozen immigrants were granted asylum by the country last year. The president went on to criticise Slovak politicians who approach the topic of immigration exclusively through the prism of public opinion. Kiska reiterated that Slovakia is obliged to assist people whose lives are in danger in their home countries.

On the same topic the Interior Ministry has already admitted that Slovakia will also bear some of the expenditures associated with caring for the asylum seekers from Austria, adding that details of the aid should be subject to a memorandum that is being drafted. Currently, it has to deal with the opposition of locals from the village of Gabčíkovo against the proposal to accommodate the transferred asylum seekers there.