MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The leaders of Svoboda Andrey Ilyenko and Igor Miroshnynchenko joined the rally organized as a protest against the proposal made by the Deputy Minister of Justice Sergiy Petukhov to admit some of the Syrian refugees that come to Europe in exchange for the cancellation of EU visa restrictions, the Ukrainian Espresso.TV. broadcaster reported.
The members of Svoboda party believe that the citizens of Ukraine, who already suffer from lack of reforms and high taxes, cannot "share this burden with the migrants from other countries," according to the statement on the party's website.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Justice published a press release stressing that Petukhov's suggestion was an expression of his private opinion and did not reflect the official position of the ministry.
Europe has been trying to cope with a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing crisis-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including from Syria, to escape violence and poverty.
The European Union adopted a quota system last September that envisages the relocation of 160,000 asylum seekers across the bloc within two years.
