About the electrocuted asylum seeker, the socialist party PASOK warned the Greek government that “If you do not take action now, unfortunately, the crisis in Idomeni [at the north Greek border] will be transferred to large urban centers very quickly”.
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Mouzalas a day earlier had denied suggestions that its place in the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone was in jeopardy because of failings in its handling of the migrant crisis.
In a step forward Thursday, the European Union border control agency, Frontex, said it had agreed with Greece to expand its activities to the border with Macedonia, where it will assist with registering migrants, beginning next week.
The idea of a collective approach to border patrol was triggered by Greece’s inability to cope with unprecedented flood of migrants arriving from Turkey.
Warning of security threats and saying most migrants were not fleeing war, Tusk said: “It’s too easy to get into Europe…” That has since been sealed but medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, which is involved in saving people at sea in the Aegean, called on the European Union on Thursday to open new, safer routes to Europe. The assistance thus far requested from Greece amounts to the needs of a small city: 20 buses, 26 ambulances, 17 mini vans, water pumps, generators, over 800 heated containers for families, hygienic equipment, 1,000 beds, 1,500 tents, heaters, 100,000 sleeping bags, raincoats, woolen blankets, etc.
“There are a certain number of improvements that need to be done”, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Thursday. “Though by law the state can’t be forced to accept help, if the national government is unable to protect their own borders, it is left with no other choice”.
Limitations are being placed on refugees and migrants from countries other than Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq along, causing tensions at Idomeni, on the Greek side of the border, which have led on several occasions to violence and a temporary closure of the border, according to a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“We reject mini-Schengens and we want to focus on the protection of external borders”, said Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka.
The Financial Times had reported on Wednesday that several European ministers and senior EU officials believe threatening suspension from the Schengen zone could persuade Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to “deliver on his promises and take up EU offers of help”.
“We’re trying to resolve the problem without using force, without bloodshed”, he said.
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On Thursday he said Hungary was among those states.
