The Slovenian government on Wednesday moved to formalize the temporary protection mechanism for displaced persons in order to prepare for the potentially large numbers of Ukrainian refugees. Meanwhile, the country's Parliament passed a declaration condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The temporary protection provision means that refugees fleeing Ukraine would be given legal rights in Slovenia, including residency permits. The status would be granted for a period of one year, which can be extended further to a maximum of two more six-month periods.

The decision, which also refers to all family members of arriving refugees, does not specify the number of displaced persons that Slovenia could take in. According to local media, around 400 Ukrainians have requested asylum in Slovenia since the invasion began in late February.

Slovenia’s Parliament on Wednesday also passed  declaration on Ukraine, condemning Russia’s aggression against that country and its recognition of Ukraine’s breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.

The declaration also supported a path for Ukraine’s EU membership, and called for a plan to guarantee its membership “after it meets the necessary criteria.”