Migrants, mostly from Eritrea, were captured in the port of Catania because the Italian government did not allow them to disembark while other EU countries refused to take part.
The media then announced that Albania and Ireland and the Catholic Church in Italy agreed to accept a part of the migrants and that the official Rome addressed Montenegro asking for it to accept part of this migrant group.
Criminologist Velimir Rakočević says that Montenegro is expected to demonstrate cooperation and solidarity because we are recognized for it.
"It is known that in the turbulent years, the fifth of our population were refugees. What we have to do in this situation is take into account state interests and state security," he said.
Criminologist Rakočević points out that the state needs to make an assessment in this situation, bearing in mind that Montenegro is not the ultimate destination for migrants but is a country of transit for them. In accordance with our capabilities, we need to approach this issue. The government will certainly decide what is in the interest of the state," emphasizes Rakočević. According to him, this should not be seen as a pressure on the country that is in the EU accession negotiations. The security aspects of the migration crisis are currently the most important political issue in the region and Europe. All aspects of this crisis are being discussed for months, as many EU members are concerned about security.
Political parties in Montenegro have different interpretations of the situation with migrants. While some believe that migrants can endanger Montenegro's security, others believe that the state must show humanity and that it should be a temporary refuge for people fleeing the horrendous war to the EU countries.
The issue of migrants being at the top of the list of priorities was also demonstrated at the meeting between the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Minister Duško Marković in August when this question was one of the most significant ones.
Migrant issues will only be updated in the coming months when new larger groups are expected.
The military and the police together protect the border from illegal crossings.
The plan launched by Austria together with several other EU members is being realized. Migrants cannot go to the EU, but the countries of the Western Balkans "have to" accept them.
Text by Miraš Dušević, on September 5th, 2018, read more at CdM
