MEPs react to the proposed response to the migration crisis facing Europe as Commission President Juncker delivers his first State of the Union address.

State of the Union: migration crisis tops agenda

A warm welcome  for the Commission President

on the day of his first ever  State of the Union address.

Mr Juncker began by talking  of a Europe in bad shape,

unable to face up to  its current-day challenge.

All of us should remember  that Europe is a continent

where nearly everyone  has at one time been a refugee.

It is true that Europe cannot house  all the misery in the world.

We are fighting against the Islamic State.

Why are we not ready to accept  those who are fleeing the Islamic State?

Mr Juncker called on Member States  to respect the asylum procedure.

He also called for a list of safe countries  to be drawn up to help fast-track refugees,

adding that a legal migration package  would be unveiled in early 2016.

So what was the response  from the Chamber?

I want to make it clear for the Group  of the Christian Democrats, the EPP,

in Europe we are not proud  of having invented the rights of Christians,

in Europe, we are proud  of having invented human rights.

I see the seat of the European Council  President empty, rhetorically speaking.

Paradoxically, whoever is responsible  for belated European responses is not here.

On immigration, as you have said,  Europe should go back to doing Europe.

The sentiment of solidarity  rang all around.

Europe does not need a new iron curtain,  Europe needs iron will.

But let's be clear,  telling countries what to do,

forcing a plan on them  only risks more finger-pointing.

For the Liberals, certain countries  needed to be told what not to do.

What we see in Budapest is incredible,  refugees herded in a train station,

treated without any respect,  and then we say, 'let’s open the borders,

let's open the railways so they can go  to Austria, that they can go to Munich'.

And we think the problem is over. Well,  such an attitude is disgraceful for Europe.

And then something a little bit different.

I definitely support all claims  that amount to saying

that we must create opportunities  for legal immigration,

that there must be a fair attitude of solidarity

and that we must not stop  at a quota system

which sets aside the essential,  individual needs of the people.

We therefore propose that this fully  equipped second home of the Parliament

is made available for temporarily housing  migrants and refugees

and that plenary sessions are held  in Brussels during that time.

Those on the far right, it seemed,  were less enthusiastic.

I have a feeling that the British people  will warm to you on a personal level,

but to suggest that getting rid of a few EU  regulations is going to change our minds:

Sorry! Unless you give Mr Cameron back  control and discretion over our borders,

the Brits, within the course of the next year,  will vote to leave.

Your Atlanticist phantasy,  so pathetically visible

in the title of this so-called speech  on the State of the Union, is a failure.

Soon this aberration that is the EU  will be consigned to history

by democracy - the referendum, I hope -  and it starts with our British friends.

People will then finally  get a chance of knowing prosperity,

In Mr Juncker's own words,  it wasn't an entire 'state of the Union',

but his and Europe’s focus  was for now on one thing.

Mr President, to create any illusions that the  refugee crisis will be over anytime soon...

But pushing back boats from piers,  setting fire to refugee camps

or turning a blind eye to poor  and helpless people, that is not Europe.