German Minister Accuses E.U. of Patronizing Eastern European Refugee Holdouts
Germany’s interior minister has accused the E.U. of patronizing eastern European members over refugees. The comments by Horst Seehofer place him at odds with the new ruling coalition in Germany.
Germany is leading E.U. pressure against member states like Poland and Hungary who wrecked previous attempts to spread asylum seekers around the bloc under a quota system.
“The E.U. commission is often patronizing,” Seehofer told Die Welt am Sonntag newspaper. “We need to put more energy into dialogue on the distribution of refugees. If we keep negotiating patiently, a majority of countries will support (it).”
His remarks, which included claims that the E.U. was making decisions “over the heads” of European leaders, followed comments last week in which he said Islam did not belong to Germany.
Seehofer was rebuked for the Islam remarks by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said that Germany’s 4 million Muslims belong to the country as much as their religion does.
The Social Democrats, who are the junior partner in the new German government, have said they will not allow the coalition to move to the right.
Story on German Taxpayers Financing Refugee Harems Exposed as Fake
A story claiming Germany would finance harems for refugees has been exposed as fake. Latvia’s Russian-language Baltnews.lv portrayed family reunification as taxpayer-financed harems.
An investigation by Euractiv and France24 found that “the headline is entirely false.”
It said a debate is taking place in Germany over lifting the freeze on family reunification for refugees who have not qualified for asylum seeker status.
The outlets concluded that the Latvian reports entirely miscast the issue, which is about wives or children of asylum seekers in Germany who, if they qualify, would gain access to some benefits given to refugees. The Bundestag discussions relate to the limits that should be imposed on this system to deter possible abuses.
Capsized Boat in the Aegean Sees Highest Death Toll in Months
At least 16 people have drowned trying to reach Greece from Turkey by boat. The death toll is the highest in recent months and comes at the onset of spring when crossings normally increase.
Greek authorities said the deaths came after a boat carrying would-be asylum seekers capsized on March 17 off the small island of Agathonisi. It is believed that the craft had 22 people aboard.
Greece’s new migration minister, Dimitris Vitsas, said: “We can’t tolerate (losing) children in the Aegean Sea … the solution is to protect people, to implement safe procedures and safe routes for migrants and refugees, to hit the human trafficking circuits.”
Two more people died over the weekend in a car crash after police tried to intercept a suspected people smuggler in northern Greece.
Recommended Reads:
- The Atlantic: The Refugee Detectives
- Deutsche Welle: The E.U.-Turkey Refugee Agreement: A Review
- The Guardian: ‘They Are Our Salvation’: The Sicilian Town Revived by Refugees
- Relief Web: Refugee Education: The Time to Act Is Now