September 8 (SeeNews) - Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said the country can receive no more than 1,785 refugees, rejecting European Commission plans for the relocation of thousands of asylum-seekers in Western Europe to other member states under national quotas.
Of the total number of refugees Romania can accept, 1,705 would be refugees who are already on the territory of the European Union and 80 would be relocated from transit camps outside the EU, Iohannis told a news conference on Monday. A transcript of his speech was posted on the presidency website.
"A little over 1,700, that's how many refugees will come to Romania at most because that is the available accommodation capacity we have. No more," Iohannis said. "We will receive them [...] but for the second stage we are less prepared, mainly their integration into society."
International media have reported that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will on Wednesday present a proposal to relocate 120,000 asylum seekers to all EU member states, with mandatory quotas set for each country.
The European Commission has not informed Romania officially about any refugee quotas, Iohannis also said.
So far, Romania has seen very little change in the influx of refugees compared to last year since the country is not a member of the passport-free Schengen zone, he added.
Hundred of thousands asylum-seekers have entered the EU territory over the last weeks, most of them via Romania's western neighbour Hungary, which is a member of the Schengen area.