Visegrad Group Reiterates Need For Tightened Migration Control At EU Borders - Warsaw

The countries of the Visegrad Group Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary advocate for strict migration control at the borders of the European Union, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday in the wake of the announcement of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum by the EU

WARSAW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2020) The countries of the Visegrad Group Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary advocate for strict migration control at the borders of the European Union, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday in the wake of the announcement of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum by the EU.

The pact was unveiled on Wednesday. Initially, its presentation was scheduled for September 30 but was urgently rescheduled due to the recent major fire in the Moria migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, which hosted some 13,000 people.

"We have an unambiguous position on this issue. There are principles that we adhere to � the need to ensure the toughest and most effective policy regarding border controls, assistance in the areas where potential migrants can come from to Europe," Mateusz told reporters, as broadcast by the Polish television, following a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels that was also attended by Czech and Hungarian prime ministers.

The official noted that problems must be resolved on the ground, so as not to deal with such large and highly controversial proposals regarding migration policy adopted over the previous years. In particular, the minister referred to the introduction of mandatory quotas on migrant redistribution to help Greece and Italy cope with the mass influx of refugees in 2015. Some countries, including the Visegrad Group, lashed out at the plan and refused to implement it.

The new pact announced by von der Leyen aims at distributing migrants from EU states of migrants' first entry, such as Greece and Italy, among all 27 members of the bloc, so that they all can share the burden of migration flow. In addition, unlike previous plans, the new one provides the European countries with two options they can either accept migrants on their territories or pay for their repatriation if they deny them entrance.