Brussels, 25/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - In a column published in the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, explained that the EU should completely halt the flows of migrants coming from the Middle East. The French leader explained “We can not take in any more refugees in Europe. It is impossible” and called for European borders to be made secure.
The French Prime Minister added “If we do not do this, the European people will say: Europe, that's enough!” On a trip to Berlin on 25 November, where he had a meeting with Angela Merkel, the French President, François Hollande said that the German Chancellor's policy of openness was an “honourable choice” but that France would not be able to take in more than the 30,000 people that it has already agreed as part of the decisions on resettlement.
According to Reuters, on Wednesday 25 November, Angela Merkel warned that the Schengen area of free movement required further development and that the plans for distributing the refugees within the EU28 would determine the future of this area. The Chancellor explained that “As was the case with the Economic and Monetary Union, with regard to Schengen area management, we have not yet gone to the end of the road in terms of political solutions” and that the zone has so far mainly depended on mutual trust. A debate at the Council on the situation involving the Schengen area is planned for the beginning of December in Brussels for ministers of the interior.
158 refugee resettlements have taken place in the EU so far, out of a planned total of 160,000. Sweden has requested assistance from the resettlement mechanism because it has reached its reception capacity. Slovakia and Hungary have announced that they will oppose the mechanism at the European Court of Justice. Denmark voluntarily agreed to take in refugees last September but has now also indicated that it will suspend the reception of 1,000 people from Greece and Italy. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)