Interior Minister Hanno Pevkur said on Thursday that the number of refugees Estonia will accept will probably fall in a range of 150 to 200, public broadcaster ERR reported.
Estonia to take in 150-200 refugees - interior minister
10th July 2015, 16:51
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Pevkur, who attended a meeting of EU interior ministers in Luxembourg, told ERR news by phone that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss member countries' possibilities in an informal setting and a final agreement on how to distribute 60,000 refugees is now very close.
However, final figures will not be known until July 20 as the positions of Hungary, Austria and Spain are still open.
«We stuck to the mandate given us by the government and the parliament. It's hard to name the precise figure, but with high probability it will be between 150 and 200,» Pevkur said.
«A concrete decision was that in addition to relocation and resettlement more resources will be set apart for the points where evaluation will take place. It also was decided that the efficiency of data exchanges among member states must be improved particularly insofar as the criminal contingent is concerned,» he added.
To formalize the final agreement, the ministers will hold an extra meeting in Brussels on July 20, Pevkur said.