Slovak Interior Minister refuses to comment on firefighter's racist remarks about Romani refugees from Ukraine

Slovak Interior Minister Roman Mikulec has refused to comment on the racist remarks made to the Czech media by the commander of the fire station in Humenné, Slovakia, Colonel Marian Pouchan. The commander accused Romani refugees from Ukraine of “abusing” humanitarian aid in Slovakia. 

Czech Television and ROMEA TV reporter Richard Samko informed the minister of the racist statements during his press conference at the Slovak-Ukrainian border crossing in Vyšné Nemecké. “I won’t comment on somebody else’s remarks, don’t get mad at me,” Mikulec said after the reporter asked the same question three times without receiving an answer.  

Samko also tried to get comment from Pavel Mikulášek, president of the Fire and Rescue Service of Slovakia, but he refused to be interviewed. Pouchan’s racist remarks were documented by reporter Luboš Palata in his article for the Czech daily Deník. 

Pouchan attacked the Romani refugees from Ukraine in an unprecedented way, alleging to the reporter that they “had no reason” to flee and were “abusing” the aid. “They are not people who are directly threatened by the war,” Pouchan asserted.

“They are people from near the border, they have abused the opportunity for us to cook them hot food here and to receive humanitarian aid,” the Slovak firefighter said. He even went on to say that Romani Ukrainians should not be allowed to cross the border.