Addressing the current refugee crisis, the president of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, has called for a ‘mandatory’ redistribution of 160,000 migrants over the next two years.
According to a leaked proposal for the redistribution, countries that refuse to comply will be fined, reports English newspaper The Daily Telegraph.
Thousands of refugees are currently seeking help in Europe, with Greece, Spain, Italy and France dealing with the bulk of the steady influx, while the EU countries cannot agree on a common solution.
“It is true that Europe cannot accommodate all the world’s misery. But let’s be honest, let’s put things in perspective. Only 0.7 percent of the total refugee population is coming here,” Juncker said in his State of the Union speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday morning.
Juncker also called for the creation of an emergency budget of 13.8 billion kroner to tackle the necessary interventions before the refugee crisis really hits hard.
“If we are fighting against Islamic State, then why are we not willing to help those fleeing away from it?” Juncker asked rhetorically.
