The Slovakian government has recently agreed to take in 200 refugees from Syria and other countries, taking part in an EU resettlement scheme to help tens of thousands of migrants resettle across Europe. However, the government also specified that it will only accept Christians.
Interior ministry spokesman Ivan Metik told the Wall Street Journal that the policy is not intended to be discriminatory.
"We could take 800 Muslims but we don't have any mosques in Slovakia so how can Muslims be integrated if they are not going to like it here?” he told the BBC.
The U.N. announced that the civil war in Syria has displaced 4 million Syrians, forcing them to leave the country.
Central Europe spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Babar Baloch encouraged governments “to take an inclusive approach while considering refugees for resettlement and should not base their selection on discrimination” in response to Slovakia’s decision.
Mr. Netik argues that the decision to accept only Christian migrants was made in order to maintain social and cultural cohesion.
"We want to choose people who really want to start a new life in Slovakia. Slovakia as a Christian country can really help Christians from Syria to find new home in Slovakia," he explained, according to Reuters.
"For most migrants we are only a transit country. In Slovakia we have really tiny community of Muslims.” he said to the BBC.
Slovakia is of Roman Catholic tradition, with 85.4 percent of the 5.4 million population identifying as Christians. Muslims are a religious minority in Slovakia, making up 0.2% of the population.
