Page 9 - AT

A9
WORLD NEWS Tuesday 24 december 2019

Germany argues over migrant children

on Greek islands

Associated Press dren can and must best be increase in new arrivals
BERLIN (AP) — German gov- helped on the spot." since the summer, has led
ernment officials are reject- Under a 2016 deal between to deteriorating conditions
ing an opposition leader's the European Union and in overcrowded camps
call for the country unilater- Turkey to stop migrant flows on the eastern Aegean is-
ally to take in migrant chil- into Europe, those who ar- lands.
dren stuck in overcrowded rive on Greek islands from Greece's 6-month-old gov-
camps on Greek islands. the nearby Turkish coast ernment has vowed to
Robert Habeck, a co- are held in island camps move about 20,000 people
leader of the Green party, pending deportation un- off the islands and into oth-
said in an interview with less they successfully apply er migrant and refugee fa- In this Monday, Oct. 28, 2019 file photo Green party co-chair-
man Robert Habeck addresses the media during a press con-
Sunday's Frankfurter Allge- for asylum in Greece. cilities on the mainland by ference in Berlin, Germany.
meine Sonntagszeitung The deal, coupled with an early 2020.q Associated Press
newspaper that "it is an
imperative of humanity to
help quickly" and get some
4,000 children out of the
camps.
He noted that some Ger-
man states have said
they're ready to help. Asked
whether Germany should
go ahead even if other Eu-
ropean countries don't also
take in migrants, he replied:
"Yes. In any case, everyone
will never join in."
But government officials
made clear that they don't
want to let other European
countries, many of which
have been reluctant to
take in any migrants, off
the hook.
Government spokeswom-
an Ulrike Demmer said
Monday that Germany
wants to help improve the
living conditions of all con-
cerned, but added: "We
are seeking a European
solution for the future, and
Germany can't do that uni-
laterally."
Gerd Mueller, the devel-
opment aid minister, told
the Passauer Neue Presse
newspaper that "the chil-