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Refugee crisis

Activists skeptical about EU plan to host 100,000 migrants in reception centres

The European Union this Monday pledged to help set up 100,000 places in reception centres in the Balkans and in Greece. The move aims to defuse rising tensions on the EU's eastern frontier over how to deal with the crisis.

Hundreds of migrants wait for to register at Berlin's central registration center for refugees and asylum seekers LaGeSo (Landesamt fuer Gesundheit und Soziales) State Office for Health and Social Affairs in Berlin, Germany October 1, 2015.
Hundreds of migrants wait for to register at Berlin's central registration center for refugees and asylum seekers LaGeSo (Landesamt fuer Gesundheit und Soziales) State Office for Health and Social Affairs in Berlin, Germany October 1, 2015. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt
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The ten leaders from the EU who attended the mini summit on Suday in Brussels were from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden.

The meeting came after Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia threatened to close their borders on Saturday.

They agreed on a 17 step-plan to help Albania, Serbia and Macedonia with the influx of refugees and asylum seekers coming from the Middle East. The plan includes an undertaking that no country will let migrants through to an adjoining state without first getting their neighbour's agreement.

Another key element is speeding up information exchanges between countries to coordinate efforts, especially on border controls.

But of course, the most important decision is that the EU will help set up 100,000 places in reception centres. These include 50.000 places in Greece, with the other half in the western Balkans. That includes 30,000 to be made available this year, and another 20,000 will be set up with families.

β€œIt’s not enough to say we need 100,000 places when we’re looking at several hundred, thousand people coming in,” says Gauri Van Gulik, Amnesty International's deputy director for Europe and Central Asia.

β€œThe key thing is the support new arrivals receive, but also humanitarian support. But mainly, and this is the key missing part of what was agreed, we need to see a clear political agreement of where these people go next, because they cannot stay in Greece.”

It is not yet clear how these places will be set up. According to the European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, the reception will be provided with the help on the UN's refugee agency.

β€œI can’t tell, and nobody can really tell,” says DuΕ‘an ReljiΔ‡, the head of the Brussels office of the German Institute for International and Security affairs.

β€œIt will really depend on Turkey because that’s where most people start their journey. In any case, with the arrival of winter, and the change of attitude of the Turkish authorities, we might see that these figures fits the number. But you can’t predict, you simply don’t know enough about the movements of refugees.”

Fears have been rising these past few week's that the crisis is threatening the cherished "Schengen" system of borderless travel. Most migrants land first in Greece but, desperate to get to Germany and wealthier northern European countries, thousands have moved on rather than staying there to have their asylum applications processed as is required under EU rules.

Moving up through the Balkans they have overwhelmed many countries, with Hungary clamping down on border crossings with Serbia and then Croatia to halt the flow into the country.

This pushed the EU last week to help Turkey, the starting point for most of the migrants. Ankara had tough demands, including three billion euros a year and visa free travel for Turks.

β€œIf you look at the statement on the 17 points that were agreed on, you’ll see that there is no firm financial commitment by the EU on how to help,” says DuΕ‘an ReljiΔ‡. β€œI’m sure the western countries of the Balkans don’t feel like taking new loans and becoming more indebted to cover the cost of the crisis. They would expect the EU to pay as much as it has promised to support Turkey. There is also a political part: Turkey has been promised quite a lot of things, so I think it’s clear for the Balkan countries that there is something in for them as well.”

Despite the new plan, most experts don't think the crisis will end anytime soon, even if German Chancellor Angela Merkel might have said last night was "a building stone in the edifice" of "a Europe of solidarity and values."

670,000 people have reached Europe so far, this year alone, and official estimates predict many more in the coming months.

β€œIt’s incredibly tough,” explains Gauri Van Gulik. β€œThe environment is quite toxic, there’s a clear disagreement inside the EU on how to deal with this issue. But the fact is, we cannot escape it, there has to be some sort of longer term solution here. We’re going to see a continuance of people arriving, it’s not ending anytime soon.”

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