Europe is backing into an even greater refugee crisis by tightening border restrictions on the hundreds of thousands who have fled war and conflict in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi said.
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EU and NATO coordination has started to tackle the refugee crisis and will be further deepened, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told MEPs and national MPs in the Foreign Affairs Committee.
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The UK and the other EU countries would be better off staying together, Martin Schulz told heads of state and government at the start of a European Council on 18-19 February dedicated to migration and the UK’s demands of a reform of its EU membership.
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EUROPEAN COUNCIL: “In response to the migration crisis facing the EU, the objective must be to rapidly stem the flows, protect our external borders, reduce illegal migration and safeguard the integrity of the Schengen area.”
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According to Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, there is no simple way of resolving the current European refugee crisis. ‘One thing is clear: we need a joint European solution, and countries need to refrain as much as possible from taking unilateral measures…’
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Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, in statements after a meeting yesterday with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni said: “Today, Europe needs more Europe… more unification”. Gentiloni stressed: “what we want to see from the European Union on the refugee issue in the coming weeks and months [is] a strong commitment…”
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Tusk: EU Summit will be a crucial moment for the unity of our Union and for the future of the United Kingdom’s relations within Europe.
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Kotzias: “The Syrian issue has to do with the situation of the member states of the European Union, with the future of the European Union itself and of its unity in facing major geopolitical problems, like the refugee crisis.”
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UNHCR has expressed its concern over increasing restrictive measures, urges effective comprehensive European response. Solutions to Europe’s situation are not only eminently possible, but have already been agreed by States and urgently need to be implemented, the organisation said in an announcement.
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DRAGHI: The policy challenges we face are fourfold. They relate to: the global environment; the situation of the financial system; the economic and fiscal policies of Member States; and the political uncertainty surrounding the European project.
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