Big splits over migrant crisis as Turkey demands €3bn to cope with refugees

An EU draft proposal has suggested a refugee swap aimed at easing the flow of migrants into Greece from Turkey. The move would see Turkey taking back migrants from the Greek islands, including Syrians, while the EU would then let one Syrian refugee in from Turkey for every Syrian re-admitted to Turkey from the Greek islands. But Turkey is playing hardball – it is demanding a further €3bn to deal with the migrants, on top of a similar amount is says it was promised but has never received. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised European nations for their unwillingness to accept refugees and their demands on Turkey to halt the flow of people.

In Europe we have some principles, some values –one was sharing responsibility, sharing the burden, sharing solidarity. Everyone has to implement our common decisions.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras

Meanwhile, big divisions over how to tackle Europe’s migrant crisis emerged even before leaders sat down to discuss the issue. Hungary’s prime minister said Europe should shut its borders to migrants and not let anyone in without registration and permission. Speaking upon his arrival to the summit in Brussels, Viktor Orban said that any plan to resettle people from Turkey or Greece would only add “fuel to the fire” and cause even more people to come. Orban said that Hungary wouldn’t participate in any resettlement plan and that “nothing should be done without the closing of the borders”.

We are not sending them, they are going (to Greece) by sea and many of them are dying. We have rescued close to 100,000 from the sea. Others are puncturing their boats and causing their deaths.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

EU migrants