The European Commission has allegedly prepared a Draft proposal that the EU leaders will be called to sign tomorrow Monday in Brussels. “The European Union leaders plan to officially announce the Closure of the Balkan Route for refugees and the internal borders of Schengen for economic migrants.” According to an exclusive story published by Austrian newspaper Der Standard, that has reportedly obtained a copy of the Conclusions Draft prepared by the European Commission, “the immediate end of the migrants’ flow and the waving from Greece to Germany is top priority of the EU policy.” And this will be decided and announced at the extraordinary EU-Turkey Summit on Refugee Crisis in Brussels tomorrow Monday.
Major points form the draft:
- “The irregular migrant’s flow along the Balkan Route comes to an end. this Route is now closed.
- Greece must immediately create 50,000 places for potential asylum-seekers, it gets “any help” from EU.
- Migrants with no chance for asylum should be immediately deported to Turkey. An EU-Turkey agreement to this effect will go into effect as of 1. June 2016.
- Turkey will play a constructive role in the external borders control.
- The EU member states will be committed to begin with the “resettlement” of Syrian refugees from Turkey to EU countries.
- The Frontex will be strengthen with more staff at the Greek border to FYROM and Albania The Frontex should take care that the Hot Spots in Greece are in full operation.
- the Europol should help in the fight against smugglers.
The Draft mentions also a roadmap that includes: states to send Frontex staff (1. April), starting of Relocation (16. March Summit), restore of Schengen cancellation (end of 2016).
The draft also confirms the 700 million euro assistance, although in the September 22nd 2015 decision, the amount was 780 million euro.
However, the most touching paragraph of the draft is, of course, the following:
The EU leaders will “do the maximum to assist Greece in this difficult moment.” It is about “a collective responsibility of the community, which requires fast and efficient mobilization of all available resources”, but “also the contributions of the Member States.”
On March 2nd, Greek Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas said that “the border to FYROM is considered as closed and that the thousands of refugees would stay in Greece for 2-3 years. As this statement shocked the Greeks, he revised it next day, claiming that “it was misinterpreted.”
Ok, normally, the Drafts leave some space for ‘negotiations’ before they finalize and approval by 28 member states is needed. After a consensus has been reached between the SYRIZA-ANEL government and the opposition leaders from New Democracy, PASOK and Potami on Friday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will fly to Brussels demanding “sanctions against those countries that do not implement the EU decisions on the Refugee Crisis.
BTW: I see, the Draft does not mention “Dublin amendment” and the fate of the refugees in Greece is very vaguely mentioned as ‘relocation’ that it has to be implemented” – should I worry?
PS KTG has been saying this all the time: the EC should cut EU Structural Funds to those EU members that sign Summit Resolutions but refuse to do their share in responsibility and take in the Refugees they should.
You can take the Structural funds, we do not want them. Majority is anyway spent on insanity like gender equality. Yes, Greece, take Structural money and teach to islamists gender roles according to EU standards. At best already on arrival.
This is Thomas Mayer, the biggest anti-Greek liar from Brussels, one could enjoy his “leaks” already one year ago when he was reporting “directly from Athens” out of Brussels and his articles always get funny “updates” while also changing into misleading headlines; this here was written on 5th AND on 6th, back then the updates also included 12 hours later more writer names (desperately needed “from Athens”). May be already one such “update” could be that Mayer writes about a statement by all member-states one or two days before it will be.
That this must be a hoax one can see perfectly regarding the ridiculous impossible point with Frontex at the borders to Albania and Fyrom, the faker didn’t do research what Frontex’ job is and may be tomorrow this point will be gone, left in “update”. This could hint to the possibility of Austrian soldiers protecting the Fyrom border while acting on Greek shores; arrests of Austrian soldiers, special forces and police would be perfect.
Why are Greeks shocked? What the Greek government is doing, letting in hundreds of thousands of immigrants, is treason.
Rita: try to understand some basic facts of life.
(1) You cannot stop small boats arriving on a coastline, except by killing the occupants
(2) It is illegal to kill people; it is even worse to kill many people.
(3) Greece is not allowed by international or EU law to push back boats to Turkey
(4) The refugees arriving have strong legal rights that Greece has to respect
(5) Turkey is not a safe country for refugees, according to all EU countries, and is not co-operating with anyone about anything anyway
(6) What the fuck are you talking about?
Good Reply!
Just like fighting the Nazi-occupation was treason to the masterrace or not paying the war reparations is still treason or is it treason to not kick out of EU the Anti-Humans that show no respect for refugees rights?
Treason against what and whom Rita? We all know that the migrant flow is political, but what choice do we (Greeks) have? Law of the sea and shipwreck law means that Greeks have no other legal or humane and moral option but to rescue and aid passengers. Remember we are first of all a sea nation so this is really vital from our own perspective too.
Maybe you mean EU treason against Greece yet again.
As for the politics Greece had little to do with the wars against Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Iraq…as we all know that is Washington. However not standing against NATO’s will to destroy can certainly be laid at our door.
I would totally agree with the idea of limitation of the structural funds for the countries which are not taking in the refugees. Not taking refugees is lack of solidarity. The problem is the amount of refugees is – at least now – not possible to name. Is it 100 thousand, one million, one hundred million , one billion ? One must do something at least to know the number of potential refugees (and economic migrants) and then decide…
Many people feel invited and will come… So the reasonable idea is first to know what is the number of migrants that Europe can accept, and then only discuss other problems. Yes, blocking the borders is a way to assess how many migrants Europe can take…
Wage-slavery, imperialism and genocide must get punished, so if you don’t want them to come name the consumerists, the car-drivers and smart-phone-users the mass-murderers who they really are and put’em 25 to life for their crimes against humanity. And stop exploiting the huge majority of this planet, if this First-World-minority can’t feed themselves it shouldn’t breed and stop eat.
As for the EU-funds, this is all bullshit-propaganda as this can not happen before 2020
What structural funds?? They dried up years ago. You mean NATO arming its Baltic mini-me’s against the Russian “threat”?
Fantasy….
And of course, the more are invited , the more will come. This is normal – most of the world is poorer than Europe, and some people will invent that they are persecuted etc. to get a chance. Sometimes liars can be verified , sometimes not… They play a big game, a game for a better life. But with all sympathy to economic migrants – Europe cannot allow all of them, at least not now.
So first inviting should be finished, and then there should be a righteous method of dividing among countries.
It won’t happen.
But hey we can dream.