The refugee crisis can be solved only if European Union member-states stick together, and Croatia has shown full support for the EU migration policy and the European Commission stands by Croatia in efforts to solve the crisis, the EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopulos, said in Zagreb after his talks with Croatian officials, Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic and Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic.
Commissioner Avramopulos praised Croatia for its full commitment to the best principles of the EU migration policy and for its efforts in addressing the refugee crisis since mid-September, when the migrants' tide spilled over to Croatia. The Greek commissioner said that Croatia had a crucial role in solving the refugee crisis in the region and called on Zagreb to intensify dialogue with Serbia's authorities as well as with other Western Balkan countries.
We need permanent and constructive dialogue rather than walls and fences, Avramopulos said at a news conference after his talks with Ostojic. The European Commission stands behind Croatia in solving the refugee crisis and counts on Croatia taking responsibility both in the EU and towards its neighbours in the Western Balkans, he said.
He recalled that 70 million euros in the period from 2014 to 2020 is at Croatia's disposal for migration and security challenges, plus 120 million euros for upgrading the infrastructure to meet the Schengen Area rules. Avramopulos called on Ostojic to step up internal procedure for drawing funding. He went on to say that Croatia also could activate civil protection mechanisms or request the deployment of Frontex teams. The European Commission is ready to deploy migration monitoring teams to help identify and register all arrivals in Croatia, but it is on Croatia to decide on that, the commissioner said.
Minister Ostojic informed Avramopulos of the state of affairs in the migration crisis in Croatia and of the situation in the Opatovac reception centre in east Croatia. He said that after the stablisation of the situation, Croatia was ready to continue with the relocation of migrants as agreed. The minister reiterated Croatia's position that financial and other aid should be provided to refugee centres in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon and to set up strict control of the Greece-Turkey border, with Croatian police officers taking part in that.
Minister Pusic informed the Commissioner that Croatia expected further tides of refugees and notified him of the steps taken by the government since the outbreak of the crisis, according to a press release from the Foreign Ministry.
(Text & foto: HINA)
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