SLOVAKIA (Web Desk) – The blunt Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has made a hardline statement concerning Muslims in his country, just as he is on the verge of occupying the seat of European Union President, an albeit ceremonial position rotated between the different EU states.
“Islam has no place in Slovakia,” Fico told reporters in May. Warning that “migrants change the character of our country,” Fico declared he wouldn’t allow such change to affect his nation.
Fico went on to argue that his state was not compelled to house Muslim refugees. He added that, unlike the United States and other European countries, Slovakia had not experienced much Muslim immigration.
“Since Slovakia is a Christian country, we cannot tolerate an influx of 300,000 to 400,000 Muslim immigrants who would like to start building mosques all over our land and trying to change the nature, culture and values of the state,” he said in January last year.
Related: British Muslim politician Sayeeda Warsi quits Brexit camp
Slovakian premier also clarified that he will not support the formation of a unified Muslim community voluntarily in his state.
“Multiculturalism is a fiction. Once you let migrants [Muslims] in, you can face such problems,” he said referring to the spate of attacks on women in public spaces in the German city of Cologne by Muslim migrants.
It is worth mentioning that the Brexit campaign is mostly driven by the subject of immigration.
Next week, Slovakia will be replacing the Netherlands for EU presidency.
