Brussels, 23/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - European Council President Donald Tusk visited several of the Balkan countries over the course of the weekend of 21-22 November, including Serbia, Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) for discussions on the migration crisis with the leaders of countries whose situation is, in Tusk's words, “dramatic”
Speaking in Serbia, the Council President made clear that there was no single solution to the migration crisis and that the EU and the Balkans could not just count on Turkey, with which country the EU is trying to finalise an action plan, or African and middle Eastern partners. He again stressed the importance of making external borders secure in the face of this movement of people.
Recent events had, he said, merely strengthened his conviction that effective control of borders is absolutely critical. He added that this was not the solution to all the problems but was a necessary pre-condition if progress was to be made. Speaking in Belgrade, he said that this was an obligation to which all, including Serbia, had signed up with the agreements on visa-free travel within the Schengen area. This was the message he repeated in Skopje and Tirana, which must strive to maintain these visa-free regimes enjoyed by their nationals.
Tusk also highlighted support that the EU had to provide to these transit countries. “I will encourage member states to strengthen our support”, he affirmed.
On Thursday 19 November, a further teleconference was held of those who took part in the mini European summit on 25 October devoted to the Balkan route to take stock of the situation. The Commission said on Friday 20 November that Slovenia had confirmed its pledge of 9,000 reception places as part of the commitment made on 25 October to provide 50,000 reception places for refugees travelling along this route. Greece had also committed itself to creating 50,000 further reception places on its soil and is currently in discussion with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees on how this capacity will be financed, said a Commission spokesperson on Monday 23 November.
NGOs are concerned by the humanitarian situation in the region, particularly after the decision by the FYROM, Serbia and Croatia to stop migrants entering their territory if they cannot prove that they are from Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan. Any persons who do not have the necessary papers will be stopped at the border. “New border control rules implemented almost simultaneously by the governments of Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia over the past 48 hours have resulted in large-scale renewed human rights violations, including collective expulsions and discrimination against individuals perceived to be economic migrants or refugees on the basis of their nationality”, Amnesty International said on 20 November. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)