EU-Summit Draft: Balkan Route will be closed, “resettlement” of Syrian refugees from Turkey to EU countries.

The EU Negotiating 

EU-Summit Draft: Balkan Route will be closed, “resettlement” of Syrian refugees from Turkey to EU countries. HT: KeepTalkingGreece.

The European Commission has allegedly prepared a Draft proposal that the EU leaders will be called to sign tomorrow Monday in Brussels. “The European Union leaders plan to officially announce the Closure of the Balkan Route for refugees and the internal borders of Schengen for economic migrants.” According to an exclusive story published by Austrian newspaper Der Standard, that has reportedly obtained a copy of the Conclusions Draft prepared by the European Commission, “the immediate end of the migrants’  flow and the waving from Greece to Germany is top priority of the EU policy.” And this will be decided and announced at the extraordinary EU-Turkey Summit on Refugee Crisis in Brussels tomorrow Monday.

Major points form the draft:

• “The irregular migrant’s flow along the Balkan Route comes to an end. this Route is now closed.
• Greece must immediately create 50,000 places for potential asylum-seekers, it gets “any help” from EU.
• Migrants with no chance for asylum should be immediately deported to Turkey. An EU-Turkey agreement to this effect will go into effect as of 1. June 2016.
• Turkey will play a constructive role in the external borders control.
• The EU member states will be committed to begin with the “resettlement” of Syrian refugees from Turkey to EU countries.
• The Frontex will be strengthen with more staff at the Greek border to FYROM and Albania The Frontex should take care that the Hot Spots in Greece are in full operation.
• the Europol should help in the fight against smugglers.

The Draft mentions also a roadmap that includes: states to send Frontex staff (1. April), starting of Relocation (16. March Summit), restore of Schengen cancellation (end of 2016).

The draft also confirms the 700 million euro assistance, although in the September 22nd 2015 decision, the amount was 780 million euro. Together with all previously agreed measures so could be invested in aid to refugees in the coming months be about one billion euros from the EU.

However, the most touching paragraph of the draft is, of course, the following:

The EU leaders will “do the maximum to assist Greece in this difficult moment.” It is about “a collective responsibility of the community, which requires fast and efficient mobilization of all available resources”, but “also the contributions of the Member States.”  Hmmm......Anyone noticed how scared they are to put a number up on how many refugees they (EU & Turkey) agreed upon to take? Read the full story here.