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EC calls on Poland to take on 2,659 refugees

PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge 27.05.2015 15:39
The European Commission has proposed that Poland take on 2,659 refugees from Syria and Eritrea as part of a bid to relieve Italy and Greece.
EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos gives a press conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 27 May 2015. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLETEU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos gives a press conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 27 May 2015. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET

Quotas were confirmed on Wednesday, with each EU member state in line to take on a proportion of refugees crossing the Mediterranean.

"Today, the Commission has shown that it can act quickly and resolutely to better manage migration,” commented Dimitris Avramopoulos, Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner, in an official statement.

Wednesday's recommendations follow the presentation two weeks ago of the European Agenda on Migration, which was prepared after a series of tragedies during which migrants perished while making the illegal crossings.

According to the proposals, Poland would take on 1,595 refugees from Italy and 1,064 from Greece.

The quotas concern Syrian and Eritrean citizens who either arrived in, or will arrive in the aforementioned countries after the cut-off point of 15 April 2015.

The refugees would be relocated over a two-year period.

"Solidarity goes hand in hand with responsibility,” commented First Vice-President of the EC, Frans Timmermans.

In an entirely separate initiative, the Polish government pledged to take on 60 Syrian Christian families on Tuesday, following lobbying by the Warsaw-based Ester Foundation. (nh)

Source: PAP

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