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UK will not be accepting mandatory migrant quotas, says International Development Secretary (27 May 2015)

Date: 27/05/2015
Duncan Lewis, Immigration Solicitors, UK will not be accepting mandatory migrant quotas, says International Development Secretary

The International Development Secretary Justine Greening has said that the UK will not agree to migrant quotas, as the EU tries to relocate thousands of African migrants who have arrived in Italy and Greece.

BBC News reports that a further 1,200 migrants – mainly from Syria – have also arrived in Greece over the last 48 hours.

Germany has called for more EU member states to accept a fair proportion of the refugees fleeing Africa and the Middle East across the Mediterranean.

The UK has now ruled out accepting mandatory quotas, however, as David Cameron commences talks with other EU Member States about renegotiating the terms of the EU Treaty.

Italy, Greece and Malta are taking in most of the migrants arriving by sea – but Bulgaria has also taken in thousands of migrants crossing into its territory and has re-erected a border fence to prevent illegal migrants crossing and claiming asylum. Bulgaria is one of the poorest countries in the EU and is currently processing applications from thousands of migrants who have arrived on foot.

It is estimated the EU will announce plans today (27/05/15) to relocate up to 40,000 African and Middle Eastern migrants across the EU.

However, Ms Greening told the BBC that it was “crucial” to investigate why migrants are making the journey.

There have been reports that some migrants are not fleeing conflict but are economic migrants who have paid people traffickers to bring them to Europe.

Abdul Basit Haroun – an adviser to the intelligence service of the Libyan government – has also told the BBC that Islamic State (IS) is capitalising on people trafficking across the Mediterranean, by taxing people smugglers 50% of the money they make in IS-controlled areas.

Ms Greening told BBC News:
“We don't accept having mandatory quotas or mandatory resettlement programmes.
“Our concern is that approach simply ends up acting as a pull for more migrants, to make what for many of them is a life and death decision to get on a boat that may not be sea worthy – and over the past year, 5,000 migrants have died at sea.”
Ms Greening added:
“If you look at what is driving people to start these journeys in the first place, it's the hope of a better life,” she said.
“And that's why the only real answer in the long term is to work together as the international community, to tackle what is an international problem – and to work together to deliver development and to level up the world, so that we don't leave anyone behind, or leave anyone living in poverty in the future, as has happened in the past.”
The UN estimates that 60,000 people have already tried to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa in 2015 – and around more than 1,800 migrants have died so far this year.
The BBC has also previously reported that many young males who are making the trip across the Mediterranean are young Eritreans who are fleeing open-ended conscription into the army in Eritrea.
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