RIGA (Sputnik) — Distribution of refugees from EU countries to Latvia would put them at risk of violence by local radicals and extremists, the country's interior minister, Rihards Kozlovskis, told reporters Wednesday.
"I fear that extremism, radicalism and hostility towards refugees could outgrow from the level of comments [online] to escalation and physical action."
Currently, people in Latvia contain their negative expression toward refugees to social networks and in online comments, he added.
Last week, the European Commission called on EU member states to resettle some 120,000 migrants across the EU within two years, in addition to 40,000 under a previous plan.
Over 500,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in the European Union since the beginning of 2015, according to the European Commission, fleeing violence in their home countries.
