13 June 2017
The European Commission is launching infringement procedures against Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic over their refusal to take part in the migrant relocation scheme.
Kamall: Sanctions over migrant relocations unjustified
The European Commission is launching infringement procedures against Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic over their refusal to take part in the migrant relocation scheme. According to the ECR Group Chairman Syed Kamall, this decision is unjustified and unwise.
Mr Kamall said: “The Council and the Commission knew from the start that a number of Member States were opposed to this initiative.
Even amongst those Member States which backed the relocation scheme, its successes have been limited, and failed to deal effectively with the scale of the crisis the EU faces.
Therefore, rather than imposing unpopular and ineffective immigration legislation on reluctant Member States, the Commission and the Parliament should look to find solutions to the migrant crisis which build on consensus and not create division.”
Of course we need to help refugees and the most vulnerable, but this will be best achieved by improving conditions at reception centres, speeding up the processing of asylum applications, applying the principles of the Geneva convention, improving the returns system for failed asylum seekers, and by offering support to refugee camps in safe places near conflict regions, and to Member States who take refugees on a voluntary basis”
