Mr. Predalič attends the conference on the Pact in Nicosia

State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration attended the informal interior ministers' conference on the Pact on Migration and Asylum in Nicosia, Cyprus. 

State Secretary highlighted during the meeting the significant increase in unauthorized border crossings from Croatia to Slovenia, the position of Slovenia on returns and the solidarity mechanism. 

Specifically on returns, Mr. Predalič stated that one of the fundamental aspects of a credible EU migration policy is ensuring effective returns, stating "The success of returns will continue to depend to a large extent on cooperation with third countries. We support the fact that the return of persons who do not have the right to reside in the EU is increasingly being placed in comprehensive partnerships.''  He stressed that Slovenia is not opposed to return hubs,as introduced by the Return Regulation however ''Since the beginning of the discussions on this topic, we have expressed a clear position that such hubs must be as close as possible to the countries of origin and not belong in the vicinity of the EU's external border - and especially not in the Western Balkans."