GERMANY-POLAND/DUDA Poland warns Ukrainian conflict escalation could spark new migration crisis

Record ID: 142184

  • Title: GERMANY-POLAND/DUDA Poland warns Ukrainian conflict escalation could spark new migration crisis
  • Date: 28th August 2015
  • Summary: GAUCK AND DUDA DURING MILITARY HONOURS BAND PLAYING MORE GAUCK AND DUDA VARIOUS OF GLAUCK AND DUDA WALKING BEFORE SOLDIERS
  • Embargoed: 12th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA215SY87OMOFN7CP3FESUNIDY5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Polish president Andrzej Duda said on Friday (August 28) that an escalation of the crisis in Ukraine could spark a migration crisis, which would particularly affect Poland.
    Speaking at a joint conference with his German counterpart Joachim Gauck, Duda said the problem of refugees coming to the European Union should be solved by helping those who arrived, supporting peace and prosperity in their countries of origin and fighting against smuggling.
    "We are very concerned about the conflict that is going on today in Ukraine, that is simmering today, to end or to absolutely avoid its escalation because this will indeed mean that refugees from Ukraine, who unfortunately are a natural result of the war and threat to life, will head towards the Polish border, will head towards the Hungarian border and will get into Poland. Today we follow an effective asylum policy, but if there is an escalation (of the conflict in Ukraine) Poland will also stand before this very serious problem," Duda said, adding that receiving migrants in Europe should be based on the capacities of particular EU countries.
    "Therefore when we speak today about European solidarity, then I speak about it also considering capabilities of European partners, capabilities of such European partners as Poland. These capabilities of accepting refugees should be determined internally considering the current status, as I said, the current capabilities of the country," he added.
    German president Joachim Gauck hoped for a common European response to the crisis that is overwhelming Europe and throwing up new tragedies by the day.
    "We would like to see Europe agreeing on stronger joint refugee politics. I would like to point out that the German government is working hard to find a European solution to the refugee crisis. In Berlin we don't think this should be a problem of each individual country, it is something the whole Europe has to tackle together. We hope that every member state can make its contribution and therefore we are calling for a binding agreement on taking in refugees within the European Union," he said.
    The International Organization for Migration last figures show that an estimated 2,373 people have died so far this year while trying to reach Europe by sea, and 3,573 in the past 12 months.
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