Page 9 - Aruba Today
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Friday 6 November 2015
EU predicts 3 million migrants could arrive by end 2016
LORNE COOK beyond was turning to a Migrants disembark from a dinghy after they cancelled their journey because of bad weather to
Associated Press trickle on Thursday, howev- travel to the Greek island of Chios from Turkish coast near Cesme, Izmir, Turkey, Tuesday, Nov.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- er, as a ferry strike entered 3, 2015. More than 300,000 people have traveled on dinghies and boats from nearby Turkey to
ropean Union is predict- its fourth day and trapped Greek islands this year, with dozens dying along the way.
ing that 3 million migrants thousands of people on the
could arrive in the 28-na- eastern Aegean islands. (AP Photo/Emre Tazegul)
tion bloc by the end of Police in the Idomeni bor-
next year, with the refugee der area said 850 people
emergency already prov- had crossed into Mace-
ing a stern test of EU border donia between Wednes-
and reception capacities. day and Thursday morn-
More than 700,000 peo- ing. Numbers usually range
ple have come to Europe from 4,000 to 8,000 people
seeking sanctuary or jobs per day. The strike is set to
so far this year. end Friday.
The arrivals are imposing Despite the figures of refu-
costs for shelter, rescue gee increases, the Europe-
operations and border se- an Commission predicted
curity, but the EU estimates that the population across
that the refugees are likely the 28 EU nations would
to bring economic benefits only rise by about 0.4 per-
within a few years, nota- cent. No obvious impact
bly in Germany, one of the on employments levels is
preferred destinations for likely, it said.
many people. “You cannot say that this
EU autumn economic fore- influx of refugees is likely to
casts released on Thursday have a negative impact, or
show that based on cur- some kind of a shift of kick-
rent migrant entries and ing other people out of the
a “technical assumption” labor market,” the EU’s top
about future flows, arrival economics and finance
rates for migrants are un- official, Pierre Moscovici,
likely to slow before 2017. said.
The EU’s executive Com- However the EU said the
mission said that “overall, real impact on national
an additional 3 million per- budgets is difficult to pre-
sons is assumed to arrive dict, given a lack of com-
in the EU over the forecast plete and reliable data
period.” about exactly who is arriv-
Greek Prime Minister Alexis ing in the bloc and whether
Tsipras was a first-hand wit- they are staying.
ness to the arrivals on Thurs- Most people are arriving in
day, as migrants and refu- Europe through Italy and
gees reached the island of Greece, while Hungary
Lesbos by dinghy while his and Austria have been af-
motorcade traveled from fected by heavy migrant
Lesbos airport to a new flows. Germany and Swe-
registration facility. den are also feeling the im-
“We realized that is a crimi- pact.
nal process being carried Those nations, among oth-
out by the smugglers who ers, want the EU to apply
cram refugees onto ves- its budget rules with flex-
sels that are not boats, ibility, taking into account
but makeshift inflatables,” Europe’s biggest refugee
he said. “What’s happen- emergency in well over half
ing in the Aegean Sea is a a century, and avoid repri-
crime.” manding member states
The flow of migrants into for excessive spending and
Greece’s mainland and deficits.q
