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Mediterranean migrants: EU leaders agree voluntary intake after heated talks Mediterranean migrants: EU leaders agree voluntary intake after heated talks
(35 minutes later)
Fractious European leaders argued into the early hours of Friday over how to handle the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, eventually agreeing a compromise plan to share out the care of people fleeing war and poverty in north Africa and the Middle East. After arguing into the early hours over how to handle the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, European leaders have agreed a compromise plan to share out the care of people fleeing war and poverty in north Africa and the Middle East.
Determined not to be dragged into negotiations over Greece’s debt debacle at their summit in Brussels, leaders instead found themselves sparring for seven hours about whether to take in 40,000 Syrian and Eritrean asylum seekers now in Italy and Greece and another 20,000 people currently outside the EU. The president of the European council, Donald Tusk, said on Friday the agreement for a voluntary scheme was reached to show “solidarity with frontline countries”. However, there would be no mandatory quotas for countries.
They eventually agreed a voluntary scheme, sticking to the 60,000 number but granted an exclusion for Hungary, which earlier described the plan as absurd, as well as for Bulgaria, one of the EU’s poorest countries. The deal will resettle 40,000 asylum seekers now in Italy and Greece, and another 20,000 people currently outside the EU who the French president, François Hollande, said were “essentially from Syria and Iraq, who at this moment are in camps and who will be reinstalled in Europe”.
“It was a very intensive debate,” Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, told reporters after the meeting ended, describing the migrant crisis “as the biggest challenge I have seen in European affairs in my time as chancellor”. Angela Merkel told reporters the meeting involved “a very intensive debate”, and described the migrant crisis as the biggest challenge she had seen in European affairs since becoming German chancellor.
Proposals for mandatory quotas were fought off by Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and others who argued that their ex-communist economies still lacked the capacity to cope. Bulgaria and Hungary, which has seen thousands of migrants cross its land border, secured exemptions, while the UK has opted out of the scheme.
Italy’s prime minister, Matteo Renzi, said the plan was modest.
Related: European leaders scrap plans for migrant quota systemRelated: European leaders scrap plans for migrant quota system
Expressing his frustration, the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, described the plan as one of “modest ambition” and said at one point in the meeting he had told EU leaders “I don’t give a damn” about objections to the plan’s underlying methodology. As did the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, adding that at one point in the meeting he had told EU leaders “I don’t give a damn” about objections to the plan’s underlying methodology.
“We have to find out if the system works. It doesn’t matter if it is voluntary or mandatory, it is whether it can help 60,000 refugees,” Juncker told a news conference in the early hours of Friday. “We have to find out if the system works. It doesn’t matter if it is voluntary or mandatory, it is whether it can help 60,000 refugees,” Juncker told a news conference.
However, the EU’s chief executive had been hoping to set a precedent for Europe-wide action that limited national opt-outs. He had been hoping to set a precedent for Europe-wide action that limited national opt-outs.
During the summit dinner, the Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, rebuked his fellow leaders for their reluctance to support a plan that was meant as an emergency response to the tragedy of 2,000 migrant deaths in the Mediterranean but has been overshadowed by divisions, particularly in eastern Europe. During the summit dinner, Renzi rebuked his fellow leaders for their reluctance to support a plan that was meant as an emergency response to the tragedy of 2,000 migrant deaths in the Mediterranean but has been overshadowed by divisions, particularly in eastern Europe.
“If we think Europe is only about budgets, it is not the Europe we thought of in 1957 in Rome,” Renzi said, referring to the European Union’s founding treaty.“If we think Europe is only about budgets, it is not the Europe we thought of in 1957 in Rome,” Renzi said, referring to the European Union’s founding treaty.
Related: David Cameron set to go to referendum without EU ratifying treaty changesRelated: David Cameron set to go to referendum without EU ratifying treaty changes
The summit became so tense that a speech by the UK prime minister, David Cameron, served as an interlude to cool tempers, with the much-awaited address to pitch for a new deal for Britain in the European Union reduced to barely 10 minutes. The summit became so tense that a speech by the British prime minister, David Cameron, served as an interlude to cool tempers, with his much-awaited pitch for a new EU deal for the UK reduced to barely 10 minutes.
The mood was a long way from the unity showm by EU ministers in April immediately after the deaths of 900 migrants off the Libyan coast in a single weekend.The mood was a long way from the unity showm by EU ministers in April immediately after the deaths of 900 migrants off the Libyan coast in a single weekend.
While the political deal was a breakthrough, implementing the plan still faces hurdles. The criteria to share migrants among member states must be decided by the end of July. Such factors as the size of a member state’s economy and population must be considered. While the political deal was a breakthrough, hurdles remain to its implementation. The criteria to share migrants among member states must be decided by the end of July. Such factors as the size of a member state’s economy and population must be considered.
“There’s much, much more argument to come,” said one senior EU diplomat. “I don’t yet see the full way forward.”“There’s much, much more argument to come,” said one senior EU diplomat. “I don’t yet see the full way forward.”
The criteria system replaces unpopular proposals for mandatory quotas on each country, which Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and others fought against, arguing their ex-Communist economies still lacked the capacity to cope.
The debate has also strained the EU’s commitment to its Schengen agreement on passport-free travel.The debate has also strained the EU’s commitment to its Schengen agreement on passport-free travel.
During the week, Austria threatened to reimpose controls on its border, while Hungary and Britain called for more security around the French port of Calais. Britain and Spain want a greater focus on returning migrants to their countries of origin.During the week, Austria threatened to reimpose controls on its border, while Hungary and Britain called for more security around the French port of Calais. Britain and Spain want a greater focus on returning migrants to their countries of origin.