Page 9 - ATD 05 DEC,2015
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Saturday 5 December 2015
Greek minister: EU provided inadequate help for refugees
ELENA BECATOROS pletely explainable” by the Greece’s European Affairs Minister Nikos Xydakis speaks reached an agreement
Associated Press sheer volume of arrivals. with Frontex for the agen-
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John during an interview with the Associated Press in Athens, Friday, cy to assist in registrations
The European Union has Kerry was in Athens on Fri- at the country’s northern
provided far less than is day for talks on issues in- Dec. 4, 2015. Greece has repeatedly asked for European Union border with Macedonia.
needed to help Greece cluding the migrant crisis, EU Commission spokes-
deal with the massive influx and said the U.S. was giv- help to deal with the massive influx of refugees this year, but man Margaritis Schinas
of refugees and other mi- ing $24 million to the U.N. said Friday that “we hope
grants this year, the coun- refugee agency. the response so far has been far less than what was needed, to have concrete, tangible
try’s European affairs minis- Greece’s response to the progress on the ground” in
ter said Friday. refugee crisis has come Xydakis said Friday. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Greece before an EU sum-
Nikos Xydakis gave the under criticism from some mit on Dec. 17, where
example of staff from the parts of the EU. Suggestions migration will be on the
European border agen- have surfaced in recent agenda.
cy Frontex, saying that media reports that Greece The refugee crisis has been
Greece needed 750 but could be suspended from compounded in Greece
initially received only 350, the EU’s borderless Schen- by a decision by several
increasing by a further 100 gen area unless it improves Balkan nations to stop al-
or so in recent days. its border policing. lowing people from coun-
“Since May Greece has A suspension, which tries not at war to enter
persistently been asking would mean travelers their territories.q
for technical, technologi- from Greece would pass
cal and staffing help, and through passport control
what it has received from on arrival in other Schen-
Europe is far less than what gen countries, would have
was asked for,” Xydakis little practical effect on the
told The Associated Press in migrant flow as Greece
an interview. does not share any bor-
Greece is the main point of ders with other Schengen
entry into the EU for people nations. But it would be a
fleeing war and poverty at humiliating blow.
home, with the vast major- In Berlin, German govern-
ity of the 700,000 people ment spokesman Steffen
who have entered the Seibert was asked about
country this year reach- reports that some EU coun-
ing Greek islands from the tries want Greece out of
nearby Turkish coast. Few Schengen, but didn’t an-
want to remain in the finan- swer when asked wheth-
cially stricken nation, with er Germany was among
nearly all heading on an them.
overland route through the “The chancellor and other
Balkans to the more pros- members of the German
perous European north. government have repeat-
The government says it has edly noted how important
also received fewer fin- freedom of movement
gerprinting machines than under Schengen is to us,
it needs to identify and and that the possibility of
register people, and not preserving this, which we
enough help to patrol the want, depends very direct-
Aegean. ly on how we as Europeans
“There is an inability of the are able to protect and ef-
member states and the Eu- fectively control our exte-
ropean mechanisms to re- rior borders,” Seibert said.
spond to the needs of this On Thursday, Greece ap-
storm,” Xydakis said. pealed to the EU to ac-
He insisted Greece is meet- tivate a civil protection
ing its obligations and ad- mechanism that will pro-
hering to all agreements vide material help and
made on the issue, saying an emergency border
small delays were “com- intervention team, and
