PM Marković: There are no camps for migrants in Montenegro

Podgorica, Montenegro (27 June 2018) -- Responding to a parliamentary question, Prime Minister Duško Marković rejected the claims by Milan Kneževic, MP, that Montenegro will build camps for thousands of illegal migrants.

"That is not true, that is a manipulation. I did not say that, nor will Montenegro be a shelter for migrants on behalf of the European Union," said PM Marković, adding that the stability of the State of Montenegro and the security of its citizens are in the foreground, and that the institutions are capable of securing it.

The Prime Minister said that the Government and the State of Montenegro are working in all fields in order to better regulate migration processes, especially in terms of controlled entry into the territory of the country, as a result of the observed trend of increasing illegal migrants from Greece through Albania to Montenegro.

"The Government is acting on the basis of its responsibility to provide security of the country and the citizens. It is responsible to take measures in order to be ready to accept the increased number of migrants, learning from the experience of others after the great wave that took place in 2015," Prime Minister Marković pointed out, reiterating that a special action plan has been adopted and an operational team set up, which confirms the Government’s commitment to combating illegal migration and all forms of cross-border crime. He also stated that the asylum laws in Montenegro are fully harmonised with European and international standards.

"Montenegro has a humanitarian tradition of providing shelter to the victims of wars and sufferings. Taking into consideration the fact that migrants are one of the most vulnerable categories, every society has the responsibility to provide them with dignified conditions of acceptance, and that is the policy of this Government," the Prime Minister said, explaining that, in that regard, the project of rehabilitation of the border posts from the time of Yugslavia with the aim of increasing the capacities for accommodating these people has been planned, as one of the instruments for responding to possible migration challenges in the future.

"There are no camps for migrants in Montenegro. These are political manipulations. Montenegro will be handling migrants in accordance with its constitutional and democratic principles based on the law, on the principles of solidarity. Only such Montenegro has a perspective and a future," Prime Minister Marković concluded.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO