SLOVAKIA UNLIKELY TO RESETTLE GUANTANAMO DETAINEES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000195 SIPDIS SIPDIS S/WCI FOR CLINT WILLIAMSON, SAM MUBANGO, CATHY HARMS EUR/PGI FOR NERISSA COOK, ALAIN NORMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2017 TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PINR KAWC LO SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA UNLIKELY TO RESETTLE GUANTANAMO DETAINEES REF: A. STATE 37005 ¶B. STATE 36991 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Lawrence R. Silverman for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Pol-Econ Chief delivered reftel demarches March 23 to MFA Acting Political Director Anna Turenicova, MFA Director for the Department of Asia, Africa and the Middle East Marion Tomasik, and Deputy Director for the Security Policy Department Ivan Vano. All were interested in the information about U.S. efforts to resettle Guantanamo detainees but non-committal about whether Slovakia would consider accepting any detainees. The Ambassador followed-up with a written request to Foreign Minister Jan Kubis, in order to provide the GOS material to consider and to generate a definitive response. ¶2. (C) Based on Slovak society's strongly anti-immigrant (and especially anti-Muslim) bias, and the GOS policies of granting refugee status to a bare minimum of applicants, we think it unlikely that Slovakia would decide to accept any Guantanamo detainees. (Note: In 2006, 2871 new asylum cases were opened, 861 were rejected, 1940 cases were closed usually because the applicants left Slovakia, and only 8 individuals were granted asylum.) We will follow-up with the Slovaks on how they might be helpful in encouraging third countries to do so. ¶3. (U) POC for this issue is Pol-Econ Section Chief Debra Hevia. SILVERMAN