Last year's resettlement quota not to transfer to new year

  • 2019-01-24
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN – Estonian Minister of Justice Urmas Reinsalu said that Estonia promised in two years to resettle up to 40 quota refugees per year under the second migration plan of the European Union, however, last year's unfulfilled quota will not be transferred to this year.

At a government press conference held on Thursday, Reinsalu said that the government decided to resettle 40 people from Turkey both in 2018 and 2019. "The figures will not be transferred nor will they accumulate," the minister said. As Estonia did not resettle any quota refugees from Turkey last year, Estonia will accept up to 40 quota refugees this year and with that consider the migration plan fulfilled.

The minister added that Estonia accepted altogether 206 people under the first EU migration plan, while slightly over 100 of them have stayed in Estonia.

As Estonia did not resettle any quota refugees last year, this means that the country will resettle up to 40 people under the second migration plan. Thus, Estonia will accept up to 246 quota refugees under the two migration plans.

The first quota refugees to be relocated under the second migration plan will arrive in Estonia in the near future. The first to be relocated is a Syrian family of seven, including two adults and five children.

It has not yet been decided when the bodies conducting proceedings will head to Turkey again.