EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GREECE-BULGARIA Bulgaria calls for stronger European border protection

Record ID: 134908

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GREECE-BULGARIA Bulgaria calls for stronger European border protection
  • Date: 21st October 2015
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (OCTOBER 21, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** EXTERIOR OF GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY GREEK, BULGARIAN AND EU FLAG AT THE BUILDING'S FACADE VARIOUS OF GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER, NIKOS KOTZIAS, AND BULGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, DANIEL MITOV AT MINISTRY KOTZIAS AND MITOV SEATED MITOV LISTENING TO KOTZIAS KOTZIAS TALKING KOTZIAS AND MITOV ARR
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9SGOYEZVV32OCWEHYUJHQAAN3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov called on Wednesday (October 21) for the strengthening of Europe's border protection and for a tougher stance and legislation towards human traffickers.
    Thousands of migrants continue unabated to arrive through illegal routes in the European Union.
    "Reinforce the control of the outer borders of the European Union with common European efforts. Fight against human trafficking which is a phenomenon, an ugly, brutal phenomenon which will continue existing even if we solve the problem in Syria. Defeating the networks of the criminals who smuggle people is crucial for each and every European country," Mitov told a news conference after meeting with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Kotzias, in Athens.
    Mitov said in order for Europe to tackle the migrant crisis, a closer cooperation needed to be established not only with EU member states but also with the candidate countries and especially Turkey who should be offered incentives to keep the migrants on its territory.
    "When it comes to the negotiations, or not negotiations but the ideas and the attempts, to see whether there could be a certain type of visa liberalisation towards Turkey, it comes of course together with our desire to start implementing the re-admission agreements with Turkey as soon as possible and no as it is envisaged from since 2018, if I am not mistaken."
    Earlier on Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called an extraordinary meeting of several European leaders on October 25 to tackle the migrant crisis in the western Balkans as thousands trying to reach Germany are trapped in deteriorating conditions.
    Juncker had invited the heads of state or government of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, the European Asylum Support Office and EU border agency Frontex will also participate in the summit.
    The summit comes as crowds of refugees and other migrants camp by roads in western Balkan countries in worsening autumn weather after Hungary sealed its borders with Serbia and Croatia, causing a chain reaction in other overwhelmed states.
    More than four million Syrians have fled the country because of the fighting and Mitov said that an end to the Syria crisis guaranteeing its territorial integrity was the only way to stop the migration flow.
    "We need a civilised solution. It is clear we need to talk to Bashar al-Assad but the controlled political transition needs to include his exit," Mitov told journalists.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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