(09-08-2015, 01:18 PM)Duchess Wrote: [ -> ]I feel properly chastised.
Seriously, I don't think the photo of the dead Syrian child on the shore is fully responsible for new EU immigration proposals currently under consideration. But, I do think the public reaction to the reality of the situation (as depicted in the photo) has pushed the need for immediate action to the forefront.
At the EU annual State of the Union Address yesterday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced plans that he says will offer a "swift, determined and comprehensive" response to Europe's migrant crisis.
^ Under the new proposal, 120,000 additional asylum seekers will be distributed among EU nations, with binding quotas.
The new plans would relocate 60% of those now in Italy, Greece and Hungary to Germany, France and Spain.
The numbers allocated to each country depend on GDP, population, unemployment rate and asylum applications already processed.
It comes after a surge of thousands of mainly Syrian migrants pushed north through Europe in recent days. A lot of Afghans have also fled their country, which is still rife with corruption and violence nearly 15 years after the U.S. invasion.
Mr Juncker told the European Parliament it was "not a time to take fright". "It is the time for bold, determined action by the European Union," Jean-Claude Juncker declared on Wednesday. "This has to be done in a compulsory way."
"It is a matter of humanity and human dignity," he said, adding that many Europeans themselves have been refugees at one time or another. "It is high time to act, to manage the refugee crisis, because there is no alternative. No rhetoric. Action is what is needed for the time."
In his proposal, Juncker wants 22 of the member states to accept another 120,000 people, on top of the 40,000 already agreed upon, bringing the total number to 160,000.
Juncker also warned member states not to make religious distinctions when deciding to admit refugees. "There is no religion, there is no belief, there is no philosophy when it comes to refugees. We don't distinguish."
Germany, the main destination for many migrants, supports quotas, but some EU countries oppose a compulsory system. Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have already expressed dissent.
Countries that don't participate may face financial penalties.
Refs:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34193568
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/na...14912.html
http://www.hrw.org/news/2015/09/04/eu-fi...gee-crisis