Page 9 - atoday

WORLD NEWS 9
Pressure mounts as EU migration strategy bogs down
LORNE COOK
Associated Press
BRUSSELS (AP) — Pressure
built on Wednesday for
European Union leaders to
overcome their differenc-
es and tackle the refugee
emergency amid criticism
that Europe’s migrant strat-
egy is unraveling fast.
The head of the EU’s execu-
tive commission expressed
concern on Wednesday
that a summit of EU leaders
on Feb. 18-19 would be too
focused on keeping Brit-
ain inside the bloc, and he
recommended that gov-
ernment heads give equal
focus to the challenges
posed by the migrant influx.
“I’m rather worried that we
won’t have enough time to
tackle the refugee ques-
tion in sufficient depth,” Eu-
ropean Commission Presi-
dent Jean-Claude Juncker
told reporters.
His call came as countries
in northern Europe, the
preferred destination of
many of the more than 1
million people who arrived
last year seeking sanctu-
ary or jobs, began calling
for caps on the number of
migrants that should be al-
lowed to enter.
UN General Assembly chief ‘optimistic’ about Syria talks
KARIN LAUB
Associated Press
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The
president of the U.N. Gen-
eral Assembly said Wednes-
day that he is “cautiously
optimistic” about negotia-
tions on a Syria peace deal
because the main powers
with a stake in the conflict
share the goal of defeating
Islamic State extremists.
Mogens Lykketoft also told
The Associated Press that
wealthy nations, particu-
larly in Europe, should have
done more sooner to help
BOURBON TASTING
--GCORUARFMTETBEBEURRSG-ERS -
- BOURBON -
A Syrian woman with her children takes a shelter in a iron box during a rainfall, after they arrived
from Turkey to the Greek deserted island of Pasas near Chios on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016 . Thou-
sand of migrants and refugees continue to reach Greece’s shores despite the winter weather.
European Council Presi-
dent Donald Tusk, who
chairs EU summits, warned
on Tuesday that the EU’s
passport-free travel area
could break apart if the mi-
grant strategy is not sorted
out within two months.
The commission has floated
a plan aimed at coping
with Europe’s biggest refu-
Syrian refugees survive in
overburdened regional
host countries, such as Jor-
dan and Lebanon.
Lykketoft, who is from Den-
mark, said he is saddened
by “xenophobic feelings
and fears” expressed by
some in Europe in response
to the influx of hundreds of
thousands of Syrian refu-
gees in recent months.
On internal U.N. politics,
Lykketoft said he hopes
the next U.N. chief will be a been promoting General
woman, which would be a
first. A woman as the world’s potential candidates.
gee emergency in more
than half a century. Ideas
include the relocation
plan to distribute refugees
among EU nations, which
would be strung out over
two years, and more than
3 billion dollars over two
years plus fast track visa
and EUmembership pro-
cess for Turkey in exchange
top diplomat “would be a
brilliant idea,” provided she cil, especially the five veto-
meets the criteria for the
job, he said.
The term of the current U.N.
secretary general, Ban Ki-
moon, expires at the end of
this year. The General As-
sembly voted last Septem-
ber to make the largely se-
cretive selection of the next political solution for Syr-
U.N. chief more open and
transparent. Lykketoft has
set up a website and has
Assembly interviews with
Thursday 21 January 2016
frontiers of countries unable
or unwilling to do so.
Juncker lamented the lack
of national action, saying
(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) “we would do better if we
implemented what has
for stopping people leav- been decided.”
ing for Europe. The mass arrivals last year,
The commission also advo- mostly through Greece
cates tougher measures to from Turkey, overwhelmed
return people who don’t border authorities and re-
qualify for asylum, and has ception centers and raised
boosted funding of Frontex tensions between EU neigh-
border agency. bors as they struggled to re-
A new European border spond.
agency plan is to be rolled More than 2,000 people are
out in March to protect the still arriving daily, according
to EU figures, and numbers
are expected to acceler-
ate as spring arrives.
A spokeswoman for the
U.N. refugee agency, said
that around 2,000 migrants
continue to cross from
Macedonia into Serbia dai-
ly, even with temperatures
plunging to a low of -19 C
(-2 F) Wednesday.
Liene Veide said many ar-
rive ill-prepared, without
clothing or boots appro-
priate for winter weather.
Some have pneumonia,
fever or other illnesses, but
she said most refuse hospi-
talization and press on with
their journeys.q
But the U.N. Security Coun- U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry and Russian Foreign
wielding permanent mem- Minister Sergey Lavrov met
bers, will still have the final Wednesday, but it was not
say. clear if they managed to
In Jordan, Lykketoft visited resolve their differences.
the Zaatari camp for Syrian Both sides said they did not
refugees and met with King support a delay in the talks.
Abdullah II. Once the talks begin, “we
U.N.-mediated talks on a have reason to be ... cau-
tiously optimistic” because
ia are due to begin next world powers and regional
week, but delays are pos- players such as Turkey, Sau-
sible because of continued di Arabia and Iran have a
disagreement over which “very important common
opposition groups should interest” in defeating IS,
be allowed to attend. Lykketoft said. q