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Migrant crisis: Emergency talks on Balkans underway | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Leaders from several European countries are holding an emergency meeting to try to find a common position on the migrant crisis in the Balkans. | |
A draft statement calls on countries to stop waving through migrants without the agreement of their neighbours. | |
Slovenian PM Miro Cerar warned that the EU would "start falling apart" without concrete action on the crisis. | |
Ten EU and three non-EU states are taking part but the absence of Turkey at the summit has been questioned. | |
"Today the discussion will be among the countries along the corridor of the refugee flows," said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. | |
"But everybody knows at the end of the corridor there is an entrance." | |
The draft leaked ahead of the meeting calls for the "gradual and controlled" movement of people through the migration route. | |
It also proposes to bolster EU patrols at Greece's borders and to send 400 extra guards to Slovenia. | It also proposes to bolster EU patrols at Greece's borders and to send 400 extra guards to Slovenia. |
Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel said the refugee crisis could not be solved without the help of Turkey. | |
Balkan bottlenecks | Balkan bottlenecks |
Hungary announced it was closing its borders with Serbia and Croatia last weekend. | Hungary announced it was closing its borders with Serbia and Croatia last weekend. |
As a result, Slovenia saw 58,000 arrivals in the week leading up to Saturday, and many people are waiting in wet and cold conditions. | As a result, Slovenia saw 58,000 arrivals in the week leading up to Saturday, and many people are waiting in wet and cold conditions. |
"We will not be able to endure this for weeks if we do not get help," said Mr Cerar, arriving for the summit. | |
The Slovenian government has accused Croatia of deliberately dumping thousands of migrants on the border. | The Slovenian government has accused Croatia of deliberately dumping thousands of migrants on the border. |
Croatia says it has no choice because Slovenia is allowing far less into the country than it should be. | Croatia says it has no choice because Slovenia is allowing far less into the country than it should be. |
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who called the meeting in Brussels, told German newspaper Bild: "Every day counts." | |
If no agreement is reached, he added, "we will soon see families in cold rivers in the Balkans perish miserably". | |
Fears of Germany and Austria closing their own borders have led Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia to threaten to do so. | Fears of Germany and Austria closing their own borders have led Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia to threaten to do so. |
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said the three countries would not "become buffer zones". | Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said the three countries would not "become buffer zones". |
The International Organization for Migration said that more than 9,000 migrants arrived in Greece every day last week - the highest rate so far this year. | The International Organization for Migration said that more than 9,000 migrants arrived in Greece every day last week - the highest rate so far this year. |
Most of the migrants - including many refugees from the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan - want to reach Germany to claim asylum. | Most of the migrants - including many refugees from the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan - want to reach Germany to claim asylum. |
Germany says it expects to take in 800,000 asylum seekers this year. | Germany says it expects to take in 800,000 asylum seekers this year. |