Greece Warns EU as Minister Plan to Curb Refugees
Local Editor
Greece warned that any EU deal on the refugee crisis must incorporate mandatory distributions of the refugees as ministers of the bloc are considering tightening regulations.
In this context, Greek PM Alexis Tsipras told parliament in Athens that: "Greece will not agree to deals if a mandatory allocation of burdens and responsibilities among member countries is not secured."
Tsipras' comments came as EU interior ministers gathered to hold a meeting in Brussels on Thursday to hear plans by Austria and eight Balkan countries to fingerprint all refugees.
Meanwhile, Greece is grappling with a crisis from Macedonia's decision to block entry to Afghans, which left thousands of refugees stranded on its territory.
In parallel, Austria and Balkan nations also agreed measures to restrict numbers, while Hungary is planning to hold a referendum on whether to accept mandatory quotas of refugees.
Earlier on Wednesday, Tsipras accused EU partners of dumping the burden of the refugee crisis on Greece.
"We will not accept turning the country into a permanent warehouse of souls with Europe continuing to function as if nothing is happening," he said.
Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, most of whom are fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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