Migration crisis update: lack of solidarity not only among EU leaders but also EU officials

European Council, 14-15/12/2017
Date: 14/12/2017. © European Union , 2017. Source: EC – Audiovisual Service

It was two days ago, on the anniversary of the International migration day, when the United Nations urged everyone to contribute to make migration safer in the world. The EU leaders gathered on December 14-15 in Brussels to discuss among others how to tackle refugee crisis. The key point which created disagreements was the letter from the president of the European Council where it was mentioned that the mandatory quotas are controversial and it is very difficult to have an unanimity. Most of the EU leaders, except for the Visegrad group, opposed to the above opinion urging for more solidarity. Of course, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary which were referred by the European Commission to the European Court of Justice for ignoring quotas to relocate refugees supported the view of Donald Tusk. Commission against Tusk Before the start of the EU summit, Donald Tusk sent a letter to the EU leaders mentioning that imposing quotas to each and every country in order to deal with the migration crisis is not effective. More specifically, the president of the EC said: “The topic of mandatory quotas is for sure very important, but this is not the solution for the problem. And on the other hand, this is the most time-consuming issue or dimension when it comes to the migration debate and talks here in Brussels and other capitals”. The EU migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos reacted furiously on this letter and Tusk’s statements by calling the latter “anti-European”. A spokeswoman also said that these quotas are part of the solution pointing their importance as “over 32.000 people have been relocated – over 90% of all those eligible.” Furthermore, the position of the EC is that all countries have to show an EU approach. To be precise, it was stated that: “Returning to a pre-crisis mode of isolated, uncoordinated, national action is not an option and would betray years’ worth of collective work to better the collective European response to managing migration.” EU member states in favor of quotas The largest EU economy supported that relocation schemes should be part of European policy against illegal migration. Particularly, Angela Merkel stated last Thursday: “We need solidarity not just in regulating and steering migration but we also need internal solidarity.” Besides, Germany has been supporting these quotas as back in 2015 accepted more than one million refugees. Greece through its Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also criticized the stance of Donald Tusk and characterized it as “aimless, ill-timed and pointless”. Quotas are not among migration measures The mandatory quotas are considered by the president of the European Council as not the solution to solve this long-lasting issue as it is very difficult to be implemented. On the contrary, Mr Tusk said that Multiannual Financial Framework, a tool which will provide financial aid to tackle migration, and reform of the Dublin regulation are two main goals through which the EU can deal with this crisis effectively. Financial support is not enough During the EU summit, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia promised to deliver financial aid of 35 million euros in projects led by Italy. This support targets at protecting the borders with Libya in order to slow down the influx of refugees travelling to Italy. However, several countries reacted to this action characterizing it as inadequate. Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, mentioned: “This is what every country is doing. This cannot come in the place of, instead of being willing to take up your fair share in terms of the burden-sharing.” What is more, Paolo Gentiloni, the Italian Prime Minister, thanked the Visegrad group for the contribution but said that these countries should pledge to accept migrants. International migration day Last Monday, on the international migration day, the United Nations urged for global cooperation in order to be able to make sure that migration is managed efficiently ensuring that human rights are protected. Secretary-General António Guterres specifically said: “Evidence overwhelmingly shows that migrants generate economic, social and cultural benefits for societies everywhere. Yet, hostility towards migrants is unfortunately growing around the world. Solidarity with migrants has never been more urgent.” William Lacy Swing, Director-General of the International Organization of Migration, cried out for a world with safer migration. In detail, William Lacy Swing stated: If we don’t come up with solutions, the smugglers will do it for us, at great cost to human life and to the fabric of our societies.” Although the influx of refugees to the Greek islands is decreasing, the migration crisis continues to be a significant humanitarian and policy matter for Brussels and the EU member states. Are the mandatory quotas going to be annulled? Unfortunately, the outburst of populism in Europe and the persistence of some EU countries to keep their borders closed to migrants polarizes the Europeans and grows xenophobia. It remains to be seen how things will evolve in the first half of 2018 when the EU is expected to show more solidarity and coherence towards this humanitarian crisis.

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Interesting reads

Aytac Mammadova is a third-year Public Health student at Azerbaijan Medical University

Inclusive Healthcare: Improving Accessibility and Care for Disabled Patients through Investment and Workforce Innovation

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Sadia Khalid, a Scientist-Physician (MBBS, MD) at Tallinn University of Technologye. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on […]
© UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov Workers secure plywood boards over the shattered windows of a residential building damaged by a missile strike in eastern Ukraine. (file)

Ukraine: UN aid convoy reaches frontlines in Dnipro

This article is published in association with United Nations. A UN humanitarian convoy reached frontline communities in Ukraine’s Dnipro region on Wednesday, delivering critical medical and hygiene supplies as fighting continues to take a heavy toll on civilians and infrastructure across the country. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that access to the town had been […]
© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour A child helps to pitch his family's tent after it collapsed during heavy rain in Gaza.

UN warns civilians remain at risk as airstrikes continue across Gaza

This article is published in association with United Nations. Fresh airstrikes and shelling across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours have put civilians at renewed risk and compounded months of hardship, the UN said on Tuesday, warning that humanitarian needs continue to outpace access and capacity. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the […]
United Nations Palestinian families are being evicted from the Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem.

West Bank: New Israeli measures further erode prospects for two-State solution

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced grave concern on Monday over the reported decision by the Israeli security cabinet to authorize a series of administrative and enforcement measures in Areas A and B in the occupied West Bank.  The measures would make it easier for Jewish settlers to take over Palestinian […]
© Unsplash/Hosein Charbaghi A view of Tehran, Iran's capital city.

Guterres welcomes resumption of Iran-US talks

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday welcomed the resumption of talks between Iran and the United States.  The development follows weeks of tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme and threats of a US military attack.  Delegations headed by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign […]
© State Specialized Enterprise IAEA inspectors help ensure safety at Ukrainian nuclear power plants. .

Ukraine war keeps nuclear safety on a knife-edge, UN watchdog warns

This article is published in association with United Nations. Attacks on Ukraine’s power system highlight how the ongoing war threatens the safety of the country’s nuclear facilities, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned on Friday.  Russian forces have been carrying out strikes on critical infrastructure amid freezing winter temperatures as their full-scale invasion approaches the […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

Disability-Inclusive Healthcare: Breaking Barriers to Equity

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Mechoiteu Jijou Berny is a seventh-year medical student at Université des Montagnes in Bangangté, West Region of Cameroon. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and […]
This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by one of our passionate readers, Mr. Andrew Gardner, a strategic and international business consultant. The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not necessarily The European Sting’s position on the issue.

Most European Countries are not yet Prioritising European-Made Arms 

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by one of our passionate readers, Mr. Andrew Gardner, a strategic and international business consultant. The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not necessarily The European Sting’s position on the issue. In October 2025, the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) was approved by the European […]
UN chief warns of ‘grave moment’ as final US-Russia nuclear arms treaty expires

UN chief warns of ‘grave moment’ as final US-Russia nuclear arms treaty expires

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the expiration of the New START treaty represents a “grave moment” for international peace and security, as binding limits on US and Russian strategic nuclear weapons fall away amid heightened global tensions. In a statement issued as the treaty expired at midnight GMT Thursday, he said the world […]
UN Ukraine A residential building in Ukraine shows signs of damage following overnight attacks.

Ukraine: Civilians injured, miners killed, in separate Russian attacks

This article is published in association with United Nations. A fresh wave of Russian strikes overnight across Ukraine injured several people and left thousands “without heat in the heart of winter,” the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country said on Tuesday.  Matthias Schmale was “appalled” by the attacks in Dnipro, Kharkiv and Kyiv, noting that many more people in several […]
UN News An injured child waits in the courtyard of Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis.

Gaza: Limited Rafah crossing reopening sparks hope – but also ‘massive trepidation’

This article is published in association with United Nations. The reopening of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday after more than a year is being met with both optimism and fear, a senior official with the UN agency that assists the Palestinian people, UNRWA, has said.  The sole border point with Egypt is a […]
WFP Children in Fangak county, Jonglei State eat a cooked meal of sorghum. WFP provides food rations to food insecure families containing sorghum, oil, salt, peas and maize (January 2022).

South Sudan: ‘All the conditions for a human catastrophe are present’

This article is published in association with United Nations. Military tensions in South Sudan are “rapidly expanding” between Government forces and opposition militia as fighting continues in restive Jonglei state. Briefing journalists based at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday, Anita Kiki Gbeho, Officer in Charge of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said […]
© UNICEF/Oleksii Fili Children's toys are covered in snow outside a residential building in Kyiv during prolonged winter power and heating outages.

World News in Brief: Syria ceasefire welcomed, ‘Olympic truce’, Ukraine’s freezing children

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria has welcomed a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian Government and the mainly-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), urging all parties to seize the moment to protect civilians and prevent further violations in the country’s northeast.  “We welcome efforts to bring stability […]
This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Frank Shao is a Tanzanian medical student. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Access to Healthcare: is it too much to ask?

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Khalil Al Bilani is a 5th-year medical student at Saint George’s University of Beirut. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect […]
UN Photo/Manuel Elías Ramiz Alakbarov (on screen), Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

Potential turning point for Gaza as peace plan enters second phase: UN envoy

This article is published in association with United Nations. The start of a second phase of a stabilisation plan for Gaza offers a potential turning point for the war-ravaged enclave, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday. Ramiz Alakbarov warned that risks of violence escalating again remain high, while the situation in the […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

Gaza ceasefire improves aid access, but children still face deadly conditions

The fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is making a difference to the lives of over a million children, and improving overall access to food – but more aid still needs to enter.  That’s the assessment of two senior officials from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), speaking on Monday to journalists in New York following a […]

A new blow for UNRWA as headquarters in East Jerusalem ‘set on fire’

© UNRWA Destruction at UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem after Israeli authorities sent in bulldozers on 20 January. This article is published in association with United Nations. The head of embattled UN relief agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, has condemned reports that its headquarters in East Jerusalem have been set alight deliberately. It comes after Israeli authorities […]
© UNHCR/Yevheniia Kozun This cinema in Saltivka, Kharkiv, was hit during an earlier strike (file Jan 2026).

‘Cycle of attacks must end’: Lead UN official in Ukraine

This article is published in association with United Nations. The senior UN official in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, has issued a condemnation of the massive overnight Russian drone and missile strike on several major Ukrainian cities, killing and injuring civilians, and knocking out energy infrastructure amid sub-zero temperatures. The attacks on some of Ukraine’s most important population […]
WHO/P. Virot The flag of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) flies at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

US withdrawal from WHO ‘risks global safety’, agency says in detailed rebuttal

This article is published in association with United Nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a detailed statement regretting the United States decision to leave the UN agency, and declaring that it will leave both the US and the world less safe as a result. The statement, released on Saturday, also includes a rebuttal of […]

Why don't you drop your comment here?

Go back up

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

The European Sting – Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology – europeansting.com