European Leaders Urge Solidarity in Resettling 160,000 Refugees

Strategic Insights -

European leaders are urging their colleagues to show solidarity in resettling 160,000 refugees, with European Commission Chief Jean-Claude Juncker calling on EU member states to take in more asylum seekers. As the refugee crisis continues to strain European countries, particularly Greece, Italy, and Hungary, Juncker emphasized the importance of unity and cooperation in addressing the issue. He urged the granting of emergency relocation in 22 member states, saying it must be done in a compulsory way to avoid delay. Juncker also advocated for allowing asylum-seekers to work while waiting for their asylum applications to be processed and proposed the creation of an emergency trust fund to address future refugee crises.

Key Takeaways:

  • European Commission Chief Jean-Claude Juncker has called on EU member states to resettle 160,000 refugees, citing the need for solidarity in addressing the refugee crisis.
  • Greece, Italy, and Hungary can no longer handle the burden of the refugee influx, according to Juncker, who urged EU interior ministers to endorse the resettlement plan next week.
  • The Commission's plan calls for an expanded country-by-country migrant quota plan, with Germany, France, and Spain expected to take in the most refugees, followed by Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, and Sweden.
  • The proposal is met with controversy, with Hungary and some other EU states opposing the idea of quotas, but Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany has called Juncker's plan "a first important step."
  • Merkel emphasized the importance of addressing the refugee issue, stating that failure to do so would mean Europe has lost one of its founding impulses for a united Europe: universal human rights.
  • United Nations migration official Peter Sutherland urged wealthier countries, including the United States and Persian Gulf states, to take in asylum seekers, rather than just donating money to help refugees.
  • Germany's Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said his country could accommodate 500,000 refugees annually for several years, while the U.N. estimates that about 30,000 migrants have arrived in Greece, including 15,000 to 18,000 on the island of Lesbos.

Statistics:

  • 160,000: The number of refugees that European leaders are urging their colleagues to resettle.
  • 22: The number of EU member states that Juncker said must grant emergency relocation to asylum seekers.
  • 800,000: The number of refugees that Germany expects to take in this year, according to Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.
  • 500,000: The number of refugees that Gabriel said Germany could accommodate annually for several years.
  • 30,000: The number of migrants that have arrived in Greece, including 15,000 to 18,000 on the island of Lesbos, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
  • 15,000-18,000: The estimated number of migrants that have arrived on the island of Lesbos, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
  • 7,000: The number of Syrian refugees that have arrived in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Sources:

  • Voice of America: "European Commission Chief Urges EU to Show Solidarity in Resettling 160,000 Refugees"
  • European Commission: "Commission's plan for a fair distribution of refugees"
  • United Nations: "Migrant Crisis: UN Chief Calls for Immediate Action to Save Lives"
  • Deutsche Welle: "Angela Merkel calls Juncker's refugee plan 'a first important step'"
  • BBC News: "Huw Edwards welcomes return of refugees in Europe"