European Commissioner for migration issues Dimitris Avramopoulos said that even though the number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe has dropped, there are 60,000 illegal migrants trapped in Greece.
The European Commission proposed that the five countries that conduct checks within the EU will continue for another three months. The five Schengen Zone countries already conducting checks and have asked for extension of border controls are Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
According to Commissioner Avramopoulos, even though the number of migrants applying for asylum in these countries is reduced, “the exceptional circumstances justify the reintroduction of internal border controls.”
The exceptional circumstances are the 60,000 illegal migrants who are stranded in Greece and the concern in other Member States that these migrants might move to other countries once they stop border controls. At the same time, the asylum services of the particular states are “under considerable pressure due to the large number of applications for asylum they have received and continue to receive,” according to Avramopoulos.
The commissioner stressed that this is an exceptional measure and expressed the hope that early next year the situation may change as the European Border Guard and Coast Guard will be reinforced for the protection of the EU external borders. At the same time, Avramopoulos said, the EU-Turkey agreement will continue to be in effect and give Member States time to process asylum applications and consolidate reception procedures.
The five countries that chose to continue internal border controls should review the need to conduct them on a weekly basis and adjust their measures according to the flow.
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