EU to Hold Extraordinary Talks on Response to Migrant Crisis
Source: Voice of America
Luxembourg said it will convene the talks involving home and justice ministers from EU member states on September 14 in Brussels in order to "strengthen the European response."
Labeling the situation as "exceptional," the ministers called for better processing of migrants in Italy and Greece, which the International Organization for Migration says are the main landing points for more than 322,000 migrants who have crossed the Mediterranean this year.
The system would identify those clearly in need of protection due to the situation in their home country, as well as determining a list of "safe" countries to protect refugees and ensure the safe return of those denied asylum.
A majority of those fleeing to Europe have come from parts of the world wrecked by years of war and political instability. According to the IOM, the largest populations arriving in Greece and Italy came from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Nigeria. Humanitarian officials have stressed the desperation of those populations to meet their basic needs, saying they have little choice but to leave their home countries or the neighboring nations that have struggled to cope with absorbing the millions of refugees
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