MEPs urged member states to do more to tackle the refugee crisis during a debate on migration on Tuesday. The debate was on the conclusions of the informal European Council on 23 September when national governments agreed to increase funding and support to EU countries looking after the Union’s external borders as well as to neighbouring countries and agencies dealing with Syrian refugees. Most MEPs also supported the European Commission proposal to address the crisis.
Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, said: “Hundreds of thousands of refugees go to Europe, because they know that our community is the most open and tolerant of all.” “It is our common obligation to assist refugees as well as to protect the EU external borders,” he added. “The first commandment today is restoration of control on the EU external borders as condition sine qua non of an effective, humanitarian and safe migratory policy.”, he added.
Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission said: “We cannot solely look inwards. We need to make sure that we look at the issues that concern us in the periphery of Europe. Turkey and the European Union need to walk together [down] this path. We need to look at providing help to those unfortunate people who come to our shores.” He also called attention to the Parliament’s role in the refugee crisis: “The European Parliament’s given its green light for a fair distribution of refugees, which has really forced the hand of the Council to do the same thing. (…) So I am extremely grateful to you, President, and to the members of this Parliament for having reacted so quickly, something I think really characterises this Parliament.”
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