News / EU

EU official seeks 18-month detention of refugees

Thursday, 03 December 2015 9:12 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 03 December 2015 9:15 AM ]

European Council president Donald Tusk holds a press conference at the end of a summit on relations between the European Union and Turkey and on the migration crisis at the European Council in Brussels on November 29, 2015. (AFP Photo)

European Council President Donald Tusk says refugees should be held for up to 18 months in detention centers across Europe for security reasons.

In an interview with European newspapers, Tusk said refugees must be subject to tougher screening in order to counter security and terrorism threats.

The former Polish prime minister said EU regulations allow detention for up to 18 months of refugees so that they are checked properly.

"We can and should hold migrants for as long as needed until the verification is complete," Tusk said.

This is while the UN says asylum seekers should only be detained as a last resort.

Asylum seekers arrive at a first registration center for refugees in Giessen, western Germany, on December 2, 2015. (AFP photo)

Tusk also criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door policy in accepting refugees, calling it “dangerous.” He also rejected data showing majority of refugees are Syrians fleeing war in their country.

"It's too easy to get into Europe. It is often said that we must be open to Syrian refugees. But these are only 30 percent of the inflow. Seventy percent are (economic) migrants. Also for this reason we need more effective controls."

Europe is struggling to cope with a surge of refugees fleeing war and persecution in the Middle East and North Africa.

According to the UN, some 900,000 refugees have landed in Europe via the Mediterranean from Africa and Asia so far this year. Hundreds of refugees, mainly from the Middle East, have so far died in their perilous journeys.

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