Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 18 and 19 February 2016, during the EP plenary session of February in Brussels. Extracts from the debate on Migration, statements by Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Ashley FOX (ECR, UK), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE), Herbert REUL (EPP, DE), Fran&ccedil;oise GROSSET&Ecirc;TE (EPP, FR), and Donald TUSK, President of the European Council.

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 18 and 19 February 2016: extracts from the debate on Migration

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SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), You can see that there is a clear commitment that we have to secure the borders of Europe and to support our commitments on that front, the people who are fleeing bombs in Aleppo, the Russian bombs as well, those people should not be neglected and abandoned on the Turkish border, that is why we ask the Turks to open up the border, but at the same we have to regulate things at the Greek border as well for the Humanitarian approach our continent has to act properly and that is why we need to work together, on the one hand securing borders properly and at the same time showing a willingness to cooperate. It had been enough discussions, it is important to act now.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ashley FOX (ECR, UK), We need international action to end the conflict in Syria; we need to give priority to those people already in the camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, both with Humanitarian aid and in offering them refuge.

SOUNDBITE (German), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE), Unfortunately the issue of the refugee crisis was only dealt with very briefly, now Mr Juncker has said it was an extremely difficult issue to come to an agreement on and this is not just the case for the refugee crisis, we are seeing a domino effect as a result of our inability to get to grips on this refugee crisis. Borders are being brought back in all over Europe and people are even talking about defending their borders militarily.

SOUNDBITE (German), Herbert REUL (EPP, DE), (Referring to MEP FOX) About the refugee problem, it is not the chancellor alone who invited refugee's in, much as I esteem you Mr Fox, it is a hug problem with a lot of ramifications and it can't be resolved on a its own, the decisions last weekend can be the starting point for solving such big issues and if don't do that we are all experience an disaster.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fran&#231;oise GROSSET&#202;TE (EPP, FR), 48 hour of discussion, no real progress on the migration crisis at a time when thousands of desperate people are fleeing to our continent, to our shores. All of this seems somehow indecent and in order to prevent BREXIT our countries were able to agree by medical to save the political skin of Mr Cameron and open up the Pandora's Box of Europe ' a la carte'.

SOUNDBITE (English), Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, 'I have absolutely no doubt that how we are going to challenge the migration crisis will be of key significance for the referendum campaign'

Event date	24/02/2016
Reference:	I116751V
Copyright:	© European Union
copyrightYear:	2016

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 18 and 19 February 2016: extracts from the debate on Migration

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