Europe is ‘close to limits’ on refugee influx, EU President Tusk says
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Europe is “close to limits” on its ability to accept new waves of refugees, EU President Donald Tusk said, urging the broader international community to shoulder its share of the burden.
“The practical capability of Europe to host new waves of refugees, not to mention irregular economic migrants, is close to limits,” he told a press conference on
“The practical capability of Europe to host new waves of refugees, not to mention irregular economic migrants, is close to limits,” he told a press conference on Sunday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hangzhou.
A steady stream of refugees has flowed into Europe over the last year, largely fleeing the civil war in Syria.
The issue has become a political hot potato for leaders in the region as a series of Islamist terror attacks and rising anti-globalisation sentiment have combined to create an increasingly inhospitable environment for refugees from the brutal conflict.
Tusk said there were 65 million displaced people around the world, and “the G20 community should scale up its share of responsibility”.
“We have enough space for all parties to discuss these problems including China,” he said, calling for financial assistance and development aid for migrants’ countries of origin. “Only global efforts will be able to bear fruits.”
