Syrian nationals remain one of the largest groups arriving in Europe through the two countries, he said, with Syrians accounting for a total of 32,000 in Italy and Greece. Some 80,000 migrants have arrived in Italy since the start of the year.
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While the political deal was a breakthrough, implementing the plan still faces hurdles, and the mood was a long way from the unity showed by EU ministers in April following the deaths of 900 migrants off the Libyan coast in a single weekend.
This is in addition to another 20,000 refugees now outside the EU, who will be resettled, so that a total of 60,000 persons in need of protection are taken care of.
Hungary, which on Tuesday indefinitely suspended the application of a key EU asylum rule requiring migrants to be processed in their country of arrival, and Bulgaria were excluded from the plan.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi lashed out at fellow EU leaders yesterday for rejecting mandatory migrant quotas amid sharp divisions over how to halt the tide of humanity washing up on Europe’s southern shores.
African countries could be offered extra foreign aid as an incentive to hosting one of the centres and would be encouraged to take in skilled migrants.
But he was overshadowed by the continuing Mediterranean migrant crisis.
The final day of the summit on Friday is due to focus on security issues, namely the Ukraine crisis and tensions with Russian Federation.
The United Nations (UN) refugee agency on Friday welcomed the European Union’s (EU’s) decisions on the migrant crisis but said much more needs to be done, including “concrete commitments” by member states.
A record of some 219,000 people crossed the Mediterranean in 2014, with Eritrea, Somalia and Syria among the countries from which most refugees came.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says the slow pace of making the decision is a sign of concern for the EU. “Today I expect (leaders) to send a strong message”.
Finance ministers, including Ireland’s Michael Noonan, are now expected to meet again in Brussels on Saturday – though a deal seems for now as far away as ever. Once again, we have proved we will get them done.
“It was a very intensive debate”, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters after the meeting.
IMF head Christine Lagarde said lenders had been presented with a counter-proposal by the Greek parties “at the last hour” on Thursday and needed more time to assess it, Reuters reported.
David Cameron described the situation as “totally unacceptable” and called for the French and British authorities to work together.
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“Eurogroup meeting has been indefinitely suspended”, an EU official said.
