Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

Wednesday 9 august 2017 world news
A8

EU nations move to resume returning migrants to Greece

By LORNE COOK Greece’s asylum service
COSTAS KANTOURIS says it has received re-
Associated Press quests to accept more
BRUSSELS (AP) — European than 400 returned migrants.
Union countries have be- Seven people, most of
gun the process of send- them Syrian nationals, have
ing migrants who arrived been accepted so far.
over the last five months via A spokesman for the Ger-
Greece back there to have man Interior Ministry con-
their asylum applications firmed Tuesday that Berlin
assessed, resuming a prac- has asked Athens to take
tice that was suspended as back 392 asylum-seekers.
Greece struggled to cope “So far, no transfers to
with a massive refugee in- Greece have taken place
flux. yet,” Johannes Dimroth
EU rules oblige migrants told The Associated Press.
to apply for asylum in the “However, I can tell you
country they first entered. that to date the confirma-
But the requirement was tion from Greek authorities
put on hold as hundreds of has been received in three
thousands of people, many cases.”
of them Syrian refugees, The Greek asylum office put
reached Greece on boats the German request num-
from Turkey in 2015. ber at 354 asylum seekers.
The EU’s executive arm In this March 2, 2016 photo, a Greek police officer checks registration papers as refugees crowd Austria, Belgium, Britain, the
to cross the border from the Greek side to Macedonia at the northern Greek border station of
recommended in Decem- Idomeni. EU countries have begun the process of sending migrants who arrived in Europe via Czech Republic, France,
ber that member countries Greece over the last five months back to have their asylum applications assessed there, it was Luxembourg, the Nether-
gradually resume send- announced on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017. lands and non-EU countries
ing unauthorized migrants (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Norway and Switzerland
who arrived after March 15 Greece to return such adequate reception con- a year ago, had improved have also asked to transfer
back to Greece, which of- people, but none have ditions,” European Com- to the point that the com- smaller numbers, accord-
ten is the first point of entry been transferred since mid- mission spokeswoman Tove mission felt comfortable ing to the asylum service.
to the 28-nation EU. March, Greek officials say. Ernst said Tuesday, adding making its non-binding rec- Greece’s migration minister
Some countries have re- “Greece has to give as- that the country’s services ommendation for transfers said the returns would in-
quested permission from surances that they have for migrants, overwhelmed to resume. volve “tiny numbers.”q

EU says Belgium took weeks to notify tainted egg discovery

By LORNE COOK been investigated amid European Commission probe is underway in Bel- gerous.
Associated Press the hunt for eggs contain- spokeswoman Mina Andre- gium and the Netherlands It’s believed that Fipronil
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- ing Fipronil, which is dan- eva said that “no informa- to establish who knew what got into the food chain
ropean Union’s execu- gerous to human health, tion about this contamina- and when. when it was illegally added
tive arm said Tuesday that and several other EU coun- tion incident was provided” Belgian food safety au- to a product used to treat
Belgian authorities took tries are now on the look- until July 20. Tainted eggs thorities say that of 86 farms poultry for lice and ticks.
around a month to notify out for tainted eggs. were found in Belgium in checked, 21 were found Belgian Agriculture Minister
it about the discovery of Millions of eggs have been June. She said EU states to have traces of Fipronil, Denis Ducarme has vowed
eggs contaminated with pulled from stores in Bel- “have a legal obligation” which is banned in prod- to shed light on the con-
low levels of an insecti- gium, the Netherlands and to notify the Commission ucts for animals like chick- tamination, but says that
cide, although EU member Germany. Britain, France, immediately if they have ens that are part of the hu- consumers are not at risk.
states are required to do Sweden and Switzerland information about a threat man food chain. The levels “There is no danger today
so “immediately.” Dozens have been warned that to human health. detected are seven times to public health,” Ducarme
of poultry farms in Belgium contaminated eggs might Andreeva declined to say below the European limit told state broadcaster RTBF
and the Netherlands have be on their territories. more given that a legal for what is considered dan- Monday.q