Czech government sends Brussels explanation of why it has not taken in refugees
The Czech government has sent the European Commission a statement explaining why it has not taken in any refugees under an EU compulsory relocation scheme, a spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Thursday was the deadline for the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary to explain why they had not fulfilled compulsory quotas for accepting refugees. The Czech interior minister, Milan Chovanec, says Prague firmly rejects such admonitions. He said there was at present nobody in Italy or Greece who fulfilled conditions for relocation, making any Czech offer meaningless. The three states in question could ultimately be fined by the EU for non-compliance with the system.