STA, 10 December - Fifteen EU member states have pledged to provide for the resettlement and protection of nearly 40,000 Afghans, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson announced on Twitter. Slovenia is not among the countries included in this scheme, the Interior Ministry told the STA.
Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of EU interior ministers on Thursday evening, Johansson said that it was a remarkable act of solidarity by EU member states to welcome 40,000 Afghans as part of a resettlement and evacuation scheme.
The Netherlands, Spain and France are mentioned among the participating countries, while Slovenia is not among them. According to the Interior Ministry, "Slovenia has not made a commitment in this scheme".
In October, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called on EU member states to take in half of the 85,000 Afghans, who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, under a resettlement scheme over the next five years.
At the time, EU Commissioner Johansson considered the target feasible, but added that it was up to the member states to decide for themselves how many people they would take in under the resettlement scheme.
In Afghanistan, where the Taliban took over in the summer after the withdrawal of US and other foreign military forces, half of the population is in need of humanitarian aid.
The risk of famine and a complete collapse of the economy is high, there is no money, food prices are rising and the health system is weak, Johansson outlined the situation.
