Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

A9
WORLD NEWS Friday 15 december 2017

Opponents of refugee quotas give money to bolster EU borders

By LORNE COOK ey because we really want
VANESSA GERA to show solidarity.”
Associated Press German Chancellor An-
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Czech gela Merkel, whose coun-
Republic, Hungary, Poland try has taken in the largest
and Slovakia announced number of refugees, said
Thursday that they plan to the move was welcome
spend around 35 million eu- but not enough.
ros ($41 million) to beef up “We need solidarity not just
European Union borders as in regulating and steering
they come under pressure migration ... on the exter-
for refusing to accept refu- nal borders. That is good
gee quotas. and important, but we also
The countries — known as need internal solidarity,”
the Visegrad Four — have Merkel said. “In my opinion,
been criticized for failing to there cannot be selective
show solidarity with Greece solidarity among European
and Italy, where tens of member states.”
thousands of migrants have Hungary saw tens of thou-
landed after crossing the sands of Syrian refugees
Mediterranean or Aegean and other pass through its
Seas. territory in 2015, looking for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, center right, and Hungarian Prime Minister
The issue of migrants and shelter in richer northern Eu- Viktor Orban, center left, arrive for a meeting of the Visegrad Group on the sidelines of an EU
refugees was high on the ropean nations. Prime Min- summit in Brussels on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. European Union leaders are gathering in Brussels
agenda of a two-day EU ister Viktor Orban ordered and are set to move Brexit talks into a new phase as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Theresa
May over her plans to take Britain out of the 28-nation bloc.
summit in Brussels that start- the construction of a bor- (Olivier Hoslet, Pool Photo via AP)
ed Thursday — and some der fence to keep the mi-
saw the border funding grants out. help out overwhelmed Despite the tensions, the EU “The decision on quotas re-
move by the four nations Orban said Thursday that Greece and Italy. Commission wants to intro- ally divided the European
as a cynical ploy to avoid the border funds will help The four Visegrad nations duce a permanent mech- Union.”
accepting refugee quotas. defend the EU’s borders voted against quotas, but anism that would oblige Dutch Prime Minister Mark
Slovak Prime Minister Rob- with the outside world and were legally bound to ac- countries to take quotas of Rutte disagreed.
ert Fico said their contribu- will also contribute to EU cept refugees as the deci- refugees if one or more EU “We cannot have a system
tion will help save Europe- work in Libya, where many sion was made by a major- nations are hit by a migrant in which countries shop for
an funds and that “if we will migrants leave for Europe. ity vote. Still, Hungary and wave. The Visegrad nations those things they like from
see good projects in the fu- After more than 1 million Poland have taken in no remain firmly against mi- the European Union and
ture, first of all projects that refugees entered Europe refugees under the plan, grant quotas. are not willing to deliver the
are effective, we are ready in 2015, the EU introduced while the Czech Republic “Quotas do not work, they necessary solidarity,” he
to spend even more mon- a refugee sharing plan to has accepted only 12. are ineffective,” Fico said. said.q
Germany: Arrests, raids against suspected IS supporters

BERLIN (AP) — German po- gation against four people with the group. Berlin daily B.Z. that the sus- lice arrested two 21-year-
lice searched nine proper- on suspicion of member- All three are still believed to pects have been linked to old Palestinian men who
ties on Thursday in Berlin ship in IS or preparing an be in IS-held territory, pros- Anis Amri, the Tunisian who had spread jihadi material
and the eastern state of attack. ecutors said. killed 12 people in a truck and threatened online to
Saxony-Anhalt linked to sus- Berlin prosecutors said two A fourth person is suspect- rampage at a Christmas commit attacks “in order to
pected supporters of the of the suspects are be- ed of aiding the others by market last year. Amri was create a climate of insecu-
Islamic State group, pros- lieved to have left Berlin in driving them to the airport. shot dead by Italian police rity and fear.”
ecutors said. November 2016 to join IS, None of the suspects, aged days later. The attack was The men, who also weren’t
The raids involving 130 offi- which was mainly active in 18 to 21, was identified by claimed by IS. identified, were arrested
cers — including members Syria and Iraq at the time. prosecutors. Separately, prosecutors in Tuesday in the central Ger-
of a tactical response team A third is suspected to have They declined to comment the state of Lower Saxony man city of Salzgitter.q
— were part of an investi- undergone military training immediately on a report by said Thursday that the po-