EU to close Balkan migrant route
A boy untangles a Spider-Man doll caught in the razor wire around the fence between Greece and Macedonia at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni on Monday. — AP
EU leaders held a summit with Turkey’s prime minister on Monday in order to back closing the Balkans migrant route and urge Ankara to accept deportations of large numbers of economic migrants from overstretched Greece.
The European Union is hardening its stance in a bid to defuse the worst refugee crisis since World War II by increasingly putting the onus on Turkey and EU member Greece in return for aid.
The two form the main migrant gateway to Europe, with Greece the link to the western Balkans route that hundreds of thousands of migrants had taken until countries along the way began shutting their gates in a position now backed by the 28-nation bloc. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokeswoman said Monday the idea that an EU-Turkey summit will declare the Balkans refugee route closed is “speculation” while talks are ongoing.
“I indeed have taken note of reports that there is speculation about the closure of the Balkans route, but I want to say that this is speculation at the moment,” said spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz. “The negotiations and talks are ongoing and we have to wait.”
Tens of thousands of migrants are now trapped in debt-wracked Greece.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country was ready to work “shoulder to shoulder” with Europe on a deal on migration they signed in November, while raising Ankara’s EU membership bid.
“Turkey is ready to work with EU. Turkey is ready to be a member of EU as well,” he said as he arrived in Brussels.
Mr Davutoglu said Sunday he would discuss with his EU counterparts efforts to start within weeks building schools and hospitals for refugees with the three billion euros ($3.3 billion) pledged by Europe under the November deal.
Meanwhile, a second week of demolition was underway in the Calais migrant camp known as the “Jungle”.
However, several kilometres away on the coast, the town of Grande-Synthe was prep-aring to open France’s first-ever refugee camp to meet international humanitarian stands on Monday, despite official opposition.