Slovenia has started removing the barbed wire fence on the border with Croatia. According to Slovenian media, the first meters of the border fence, which was erected in 2015 in the wake of the refugee crisis, were dismantled on Friday at a border crossing near Metlika in the southeast of the country. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the decommissioning symbolizes a new direction in Slovenian migration policy.
Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar, who attended the decommissioning along with Police Chief Boštjan Lindav, was happy that this day had arrived. The times when the fence was put up were completely different from now, she stressed, referring to the peak of the refugee flow in 2015/2016, when more than 12,000 migrants came to Slovenia every day. Today, according to the minister, the fence is a “disproportionate measure”.
“No fence can prevent migration, but this has caused many tragedies along the Kolpa River,” said Bobnar (pictured below), referring to the refugees who died in the border river. She acknowledged that removing the fence would create new security problems for the country, but she and the police chief assured other means would be used to protect the border and keep the population safe.
Built during the refugee crisis of 2015
Construction of the fence, officially called the Temporary Barrier, began in late 2015, and the former center-right government continued to build it. As the Interior Ministry stressed, the fence was a temporary crisis management tool during the mass migrations. “It is inadmissible to make it a permanent part of Slovenian border policy,” he said.
A total of 194 kilometers of border fences have been placed on the 380 kilometer long mainland border between the EU countries Slovenia and Croatia, which is also the Schengen external border. The original “Concertina” slatted mesh fence was gradually replaced by a panel fence. Most recently, the border was 51 kilometers from the wire fence and 143 kilometers from the panel fence.
Leger Eliminates Bladed Wire Fence
First, the blade wire fence is removed by the military. It is estimated that between 150 and 200 meters can be removed per day, with an estimated 150 working days for the entire length. The contractor for the dismantling of the panel fence is being sought by means of a public tender.
In addition to the risk assessment, the calls from the border communities have also been taken into account in the decommissioning decision, the Interior Ministry emphasizes. The governing coalition under Green-Liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob has also committed to eliminating them in the coalition agreement.
Conservative opposition sees dismantling critical
While border residents welcome the removal of the fence, the conservative opposition is critical. She criticized that the decision was made without a security assessment and warned of the deteriorating security situation.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior announced a new asylum and migration policy. Accordingly, greater emphasis is placed on respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as on a humane attitude towards the most deprived. Anyone in need of international protection will receive it through a swift, swift and efficient process, Bobnar said.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
