STA, 15 July 2022 - Slovenia will start removing the fence from its border with Croatia on Friday. The fence was erected in 2015 in response to the refugee crisis that saw thousands of immigrants cross Slovenia from the south.
The news portal N1 reported that troops will start removing the 51 kilometres of barbed wire, after which the remaining 143 kilometres of wire fence will be removed by a contractor that is yet to be selected.
The launch of the removal will be attended by Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar and acting Police Commissioner Boštjan Lindav.
The minister recently announced that Slovenia would change its migration policy, focusing on human rights and solidarity.
Countries must adapt their policies and measures to the situation in local and global environment and measures must be in proportion to the security situation, the ministry has said in a press release.
The fence was erected as a temporary measure. "It is inadmissible for it to become a permanent element of Slovenia's border policy."
However, the opposition believes that the government's decision to remove the fence had not been preceded with a security assessment and was made without expert reasoning.
New Slovenia (NSi) believes the security situation will deteriorate and recommends that government be selective in deciding which parts of the fence should be removed.
