EU with possible legal action against Poland and Hungary

barbed Wire, Ill: Pixabay.com

Poland and Hungary stalling receiving  asylum seekers

Poland and Hungary have not yet accepted one single asylum seeker through the EU quota system. Now the EU Commission is threatening legal action.

 

– We cannot accept that some member states show no solidarity when the majority have stepped up their efforts in true European spirit, says the Immigration Commissioner for EU, Dimitris Avramopoulos.

Poland and Hungary are now being given one month to get going

– If nothing happens within the next status update in June, we will not hesitate to use our authority and take legal action, says Avramopoulos.

Poland and Hungary strongly opposed the system of mandatory asylum quotas introduced in the wake of the refugee crisis in 2015 to relieve hard-pressed Greece and Italy.

Hungary and Slovakia also have sued the EU for imposing quotas. The European Court of Justice started processing this case last week.

The EU’s target was originally to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers from the two countries, but the effort has been wrecked. So far, only 18,418 people have been passed on.

12,400 eligible applicants are waiting in Greece

Additionally, 12,400 eligible applicants are awaiting relocation from Greece, while 2,500 are waiting in Italy.

– It is fully possible to relocate all of these by September, but then all member states must increase their efforts, says the Commissioner.

Norway has voluntarily agreed to receive 1,500 asylum seekers through the scheme. So far, 679 asylum seekers have come to Norway from Italy and 468 from Greece.

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today