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19:08 09.05.2017 Get short URL

Following a conference inThessaloniki, Greece, May 8, onthe need for "a truly European solution tothe refugee crisis based onthe principle ofrespect forfundamental human rights," the president ofthe Global Progressive Forum, Socialists and Democrats, Enrique Guerrero Salom, said EU members had a duty toengage toresolve the crisis byworking together.

"Our duty is topromote a common progressive approach tothe refugee and migration crisis based onrespect forhuman rights and solidarity betweenEU institutions and member states. I express my gratitude tothe Greek people and authorities fortheir efforts and democratic approach tothis humanitarian crisis," said Salom.

"EU member states must now take uptheir responsibilities ina spirit ofsolidarity foraccelerated and steady relocation fromGreece and Italy. We must urgently find solutions especially interms ofrelocation and integration," he said.

"With a budget ofUS$272 million, this year our focus is ontwo key objectives: tomove refugees fromcamps torented accommodation and tomove away fromcatering toa cash system and communal kitchen facilities," European Commissioner forhumanitarian aid and crisis management Christos Stylianidis said.

"Our commitment is tocontinue helping the Greek authorities intheir response tothe refugee crisis. We will continue toprovide our assistance tothose who need it most, ina neutral and impartial way," he said.

"We express our solidarity withthe Greek citizens, withthe local and regional authorities, withthe efforts ofthe Greek government. But we must push forrelocation tocontinue, forthe Dublin regulation totake intoaccount the realities ofthe present circumstances and foran initiative tolower tensions withTurkey. The precious agreement gives us time tobreathe, butwe must use this time wisely," said Socialist and Democrat (S&D) MEP Miltos Kyrkos.

The Commission, 2015, promoted the controversial scheme torelocate 160,000 fromItaly and Greece torelieve pressure onboth countries, butthe scheme has so far only relocated a little over16,000 just ten percent ofthe original target, which itself was reduced to98,255.

Disagreements

There are two relocation plans onthe EU agenda: the Greece-Italy relocations designed totake the weight offthose two counties and redistribute refugees acrossEU member states according toa mandatory quota system and the EU-Turkey deal torelocate "irregular migrants" (those refused asylum) back toTurkey inreturn ona one-for-one basis forSyrian refugees inTurkey being relocated aroundEU member states.

REUTERS/ Michalis Karagiannis

However, according tothe Commission, so far only 18,119 have been relocated underthe relocation scheme (as atMay 9, 2017). The Commission has threatened topunish any member state that still refuses toallocate spaces forrefugees bySeptember 2017 two years afterthe original agreement was made.

"Today we had an excellent discussion onthe safety ofour borders and the integration ofthe refugees " Our priority is toprotect the children, especially the unaccompanied ones, while maintaining a balance inour priorities and supporting the Greek and European people living inextreme poverty, sincecountries likeGreece and Italy have been guarding the borders formany years and the resulting cost ofthe migration crisis is unbearable. We need toexchange best practices and form a holistic strategy toface the crisis," said S&D MEP Eva Kaili.

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MEPs Call for Solidarity, 'Urgent Solution' Over Migrant Crisis - Sputnik International