Slovenia toughens migration laws

Slovenia's government approved on 5 January 2017 amendments to the country's migration law in order to enable police to seal borders to illegal migrants for a limited period if needed.

The changes, expected to be ratified by parliament, were meant to prevent a repeat of a six-month-long flood of migrants across Slovenia that ended in March 2016, when several countries to its south closed the main Balkan migration route.

The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights later defended that Slovenian MPs should reject the proposed amendments.

• Primary Source

Amnesty International: News, 05.01.17: Slovenia: Proposals to strip refugees and asylum-seekers of their rights must be rejected https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/01/slovenia-proposals-to-strip-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-of-their-rights-must-be-rejected/

EurActiv, 06.01.17: Amnesty International slams Slovenia’s new anti-migration law http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/amnesty-international-slams-slovenias-new-anti-migration-law/

Council of Europe: News, 17.01.17: Slovenia: Parliament must ensure that legislative reform on migrants complies with human rights obligations http://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/slovenie-le-parlement-doit-veiller-a-ce-que-la-reforme-legislative-concernant-les-migrants-soit-compatible-avec-les-obligations-du-pays-en-matiere-de-

EurActiv, 17.01.17: Council of Europe calls on Slovenia to amend new migrant law http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/council-of-europe-calls-on-slovenia-to-amend-new-migrant-law/

EurActiv, 27.01.17: Slovenian parliament legalises migrant push-backs http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/slovenian-parliament-toughens-law-to-prevent-migrant-influx/

Deutsche Welle, 26.01.17: Slovenia parliament approves police sealing border with Croatia http://dw.com/p/2WTvJ

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