Juncker’s plans were set out in a “state of the union” annual address in which he outlined the priorities of the European Commission.
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They would be distributed among other European Union states according to binding quotas based on each country’s population, GDP, past asylum applications received and employment rate.
Australian Government ministers previously flagged that the focus of the refugee intake would be minorities that are largely Christian.
Hungary alone should prepare for 42,000 more in just the next 10 days, the United Nations refugee agency warns.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he wants to speed up construction of a fence meant to stop migrants on the southern border with Serbia, a project which has missed two previous deadlines. Britain, which is not taking part, announced separately that it would welcome up to 20,000 refugees now in countries outside of the European Union over the next five years.
The migrant crisis and how to resolve it has exposed divisions within the EU.
On Tuesday, though, Poland appeared to soften its position.
This year, almost 400,000 migrants have made the often-perilous journey by sea from war zones – mostly in Syria and Afghanistan – and are traveling through Hungary and Austria, a lot of them aiming to apply for asylum in Germany.
The president of the European Commission has called for the mandatory distribution of about 160,000 asylum-seekers among the EU’s 28 member states.
A crowd of around 3 000 on Thursday massed at the Greek border with Macedonia, 550km north of Athens, where police on both sides allows smaller groups to pass and board trains to the north.
‘The relocation scheme can only succeed if it is accompanied by large-scale emergency reception, assistance and registration efforts in the countries most impacted by arrivals, particularly Greece, Hungary and Italy, ‘ said spokesman William Spindler, adding that 200,000 places would be needed by the end of 2016.
Most of the refugees flooding into Europe are fleeing war in Syria but waves of so-called economic migrants from many other countries have joined the flow.
Also planned are measures to help the economies of countries in the Middle East and Africa, and deter people-smugglers.
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Wednesday that those incoming asylum-seekers must make a strong case for remaining in the country. “We have our own ideas, information and right to say our opinion”. “We are talking about 4-5,000 people per day, in a union that has 508 million people“.
A Hungarian camerawoman has been fired after she was caught on video kicking and tripping migrants entering Hungary across the border with Serbia.
In the meantime, migrant children walk and walk – until it’s time to sleep like the dead.
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The transit zones will be open only toward Serbia, meaning the migrants could return there.
