EU Leaders Fail to Agree on Common Migration Policy, Fears of Surge in Right-Wing Extremism Grow

Strategic Insights -

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans has expressed concern that failure to tackle the migration crisis will lead to a surge in right-wing extremism, while European leaders have been criticized for failing to grasp the seriousness of the crisis. The EU emergency summit, which concluded with little agreement on a common policy, has been met with dismay from campaigners, who say that Europe is ignoring basic humanity in favor of border control.

Key Takeaways:

  • The EU emergency summit failed to agree on a common policy on the migration crisis, despite the warning from European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans that failure to tackle the issue will lead to a surge in right-wing extremism.
  • The European Commission has committed 1 billion euros to the United Nations, but Guy Verhofstadt, the president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, has criticized the lack of solid commitments to fix Europe's broken asylum and migration system.
  • Hungary has reported a new record number of migrants, with 10,046 people arriving in the country on Wednesday, while Croatia has been busing thousands of people to the Hungarian border.
  • Austrian police have reported that 7,000 people arrived at the country's border with Hungary on Wednesday, while the European Union has been criticized for its failure to agree on a common policy on the migration crisis.
  • The EU emergency summit has been met with dismay from campaigners, who say that Europe is ignoring basic humanity in favor of border control.

Statistics:

  • 10,046 people arrived in Hungary on Wednesday, breaking the previous record set a day before.
  • 7,000 people arrived in Austria from Hungary on Wednesday.
  • 1 billion euros has been committed by the European Commission to the United Nations.
  • The number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe is expected to increase, with European Commission vice president Frans Timmermans warning that "the greatest tide of refugees and migrants is yet to come."

Sources:

  • European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, BBC Radio 4's Today Programme
  • Guy Verhofstadt, @GuyVerhofstadt
  • Hungarian police, Daily figures on the number of migrants recorded by the Hungarian police
  • Austrian police, @BethanyBellBB
  • Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, European Council statement
  • Jude Sunderland, associate director at Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch statement
  • Nebojsa Stefanovic, Serbian interior minister, Serbian government statement