The migrant crisis is continuing to weaken the European Union by creating deep rifts among its members who are hardening their positions. The divisions are so deep that the EU President Donald Tusk is planning to visit the Balkan states next week in a bid to bridge the divide and build a consensus on how to tackle the crisis. That’s a tough job, but one he has to undertake if the EU is to remain in the shape its founders have envisaged.
More than a million people fleeing conflict in the Middle East arrived in the European Union last year, mostly crossing from Turkey to Greece and their arrivals show no sign of slowdown despite a November accord with Ankara to stem the flow.
Exacerbating the crisis, four Balkan countries yesterday announced a daily cap on migrant arrivals. The problem is that some European countries are announcing tough new border policies and guidelines on asylum which run against the principles of the bloc, like the Schengen passport-free system, and even against the international rules. This week, Austria joined with many of the Balkan states to impose tough border controls and four former Soviet states, led by Poland and Hungary, have become another opposition bloc. Amidst all this confusion and dissent, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is fighting a different battle – by making a desperate call for unity while trying to avert a political revolt at home and reduce the number of refugees reaching Germany.
The divisions are acquiring contours of diplomatic rows. Greece has recalled its ambassador from Austria in protest at being excluded from a meeting of some EU states to discuss border controls. Austria says the meeting was necessary because Greece has failed to meet its responsibilities.
This is a crisis that is threatening the unity of the bloc, and if not tackled, can spiral out of proportions. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has voiced concern over the rising wave of border restrictions in the Balkans, saying they ran contrary to the international refugee convention. But his concerns are unlikely to be answered in the current charged atmosphere.
The current crisis can be resolved only through a consensus, though it’s difficult to achieve. Tusk will have to find a formula that is acceptable to all, one which addresses the concerns of every member state. EU states too will have to make concessions and step back from their rigid stances if the bloc is to survive in the current form.
All eyes are on a crucial summit with Turkey on March 7 to review progress on the November agreement, and an EU summit on March 17-18 which is likely to be dominated by the migrant crisis.
The migrant crisis is continuing to weaken the European Union by creating deep rifts among its members who are hardening their positions. The divisions are so deep that the EU President Donald Tusk is planning to visit the Balkan states next week in a bid to bridge the divide and build a consensus on how to tackle the crisis. That’s a tough job, but one he has to undertake if the EU is to remain in the shape its founders have envisaged.
More than a million people fleeing conflict in the Middle East arrived in the European Union last year, mostly crossing from Turkey to Greece and their arrivals show no sign of slowdown despite a November accord with Ankara to stem the flow.
Exacerbating the crisis, four Balkan countries yesterday announced a daily cap on migrant arrivals. The problem is that some European countries are announcing tough new border policies and guidelines on asylum which run against the principles of the bloc, like the Schengen passport-free system, and even against the international rules. This week, Austria joined with many of the Balkan states to impose tough border controls and four former Soviet states, led by Poland and Hungary, have become another opposition bloc. Amidst all this confusion and dissent, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is fighting a different battle – by making a desperate call for unity while trying to avert a political revolt at home and reduce the number of refugees reaching Germany.
The divisions are acquiring contours of diplomatic rows. Greece has recalled its ambassador from Austria in protest at being excluded from a meeting of some EU states to discuss border controls. Austria says the meeting was necessary because Greece has failed to meet its responsibilities.
This is a crisis that is threatening the unity of the bloc, and if not tackled, can spiral out of proportions. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has voiced concern over the rising wave of border restrictions in the Balkans, saying they ran contrary to the international refugee convention. But his concerns are unlikely to be answered in the current charged atmosphere.
The current crisis can be resolved only through a consensus, though it’s difficult to achieve. Tusk will have to find a formula that is acceptable to all, one which addresses the concerns of every member state. EU states too will have to make concessions and step back from their rigid stances if the bloc is to survive in the current form.
All eyes are on a crucial summit with Turkey on March 7 to review progress on the November agreement, and an EU summit on March 17-18 which is likely to be dominated by the migrant crisis.
