Divisions grow between EU nations over new refugee crisis
Jerome Hughes
Press TV, Brussels
EU home affairs ministers are set to hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the growing refugee crisis in the 27-nation bloc. This, as lawmakers in the European Parliament are critical of the EU's treatment of refugees.
The recent decision by Italy to close its ports to the Ocean Viking vessel, carrying 234 refugees, has been slated in the European Parliament. The vessel, operated by a charity, was eventually allowed to dock in France.
Asylum applications have increased by 60% in the EU during the past twelve months. That figure is separate from those arriving from Ukraine. In fact, the 27 EU nations are providing maximum support to Ukrainians while those from other countries are often forced to sleep on the streets.
In the Mediterranean alone, 2,000 refugees have drowned so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration. The message seems to be, if you're not one of the four million Ukrainians who have arrived in the EU in recent months, you're not welcome.
It's suggested warhawks in the US and NATO don't give a damn about the millions of people who have been displaced through military intervention in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Libya.
Apparently, the far-right is flourishing in the EU due to the bloc's neglect of refugees.
The ascent of the extreme right in the EU is certainly bad news for asylum-seekers, according to analysts.
EU home affairs ministers will hold an emergency meeting on the refugee crisis this Friday. There's a great deal of skepticism that anything will be achieved.
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