The Council of Europe is Asking Slovenia for More Assistance for Asylum Seekers

Slovenia needs to speed up asylum procedures and not apply the new law that allows it to close its borders for most illegal migrants. This was stated by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Niels Muehnikes, quoted by Reuters.

Slovenia "is becoming the least desired destination for asylum seekers, and authorities need to improve the quality of their services, including speeding up asylum procedures," Muijeniks said in a report.

He urges the former Yugoslav Republic to arrange language courses and easier access to the labor market for migrants. According to Slovenian Interior Ministry, the procedure usually takes about seven months, but it may take more than a year. Last year, 1308 asylum applications were filed in the country and 170 were approved. At the same time, Slovenia is pressed by Hungary and Austria to tighten border controls and not to put migrants on their territory.

In January, the Slovenian Parliament adopted a law allowing the authorities to close the borders for migrants if they consider it is a necessary measure to protect national security.