EU ministers to meet over refugee crisis

The European Union (EU) says its ministers are expected to hold an emergency meeting on September 14 to discuss tackling the escalating refugee crisis.

The Luxembourg government, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said in a Sunday statement that talks over an influx of refugees would be held in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

"In order to assess the situation on the ground, the political actions underway and to discuss the next steps in order to strengthen the European response, the Luxembourg Minister for Immigration and Asylum Jean Asselborn decided to convene an extraordinary JHA Council," the statement said.

The JHA refers to the Justice and Home Affairs Council, made up of the interior or justice ministers of all 28 members of the EU, who usually meet every three months.

The announcement comes as French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius criticized some Eastern European countries for refusing to accept more refugees, adding that Hungary’s recent construction of a wall to prevent new arrivals “did not respect Europe’s common values.”

French Prime minister Manuel Valls also said that each asylum demand should be properly examined. Those “fleeing war, persecution, torture, [and] oppression must be welcomed,” he added.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also called for the equal distribution of refugees among the EU’s 28 member states.

Last week, the decomposing bodies of 71 people, possibly a group of refugees from Syria, were found in an abandoned truck in Austria’s Burgenland State, near the border with Hungary, sparking outrage.

According to the UN refugee agency, almost 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean this year, with most of them fleeing conflicts in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Countries such as Italy, Greece, Hungary, and Macedonia have witnessed a surge in refugee arrivals in recent months.

The UN says some 2,500 refugees have died or gone missing so far this year while attempting to gain entry to Europe in boats.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk