Brussels: The European Union (EU) and Balkan countries were on Sunday seeking further cooperation on tackling the migrant crisis at a mini summit held here.
The extraordinary meeting, called by EU’s chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker, was attended by Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia, as well as concerned refugee organisations.
The mini summit came ten days after a full meeting among EU leaders during which they agreed to deepen cooperation with Turkey to stem refugee flow and enhance border control.
Western Balkans are facing an unprecedented influx of transiting migrants. From the region, migrants proceed northwest to other EU countries, particularly Austria and Germany, where they applied for asylum.
The escalated migrant crisis also continued to pose threats to Europe’s passport-free policy. Several frontline countries have threatened to close borders if other European countries stopped accepting migrants.
Juncker called for solidity, during an interview with German newspaper Bild which was published on Sunday, urging member states to stop transferring migrants to neighbouring countries. He stressed that refugees were in urgent needs amid more severe weather conditions.
IANS