Migrant crisis, it is entirely wrong for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to threaten EU member states with financial sanctions for failing to accept migrant quotas, as the crisis worsens we need co-ordinated action to target people smugglers and it needs to start now!

Dear All

Do you know what the Schengen area is?

The Schengen agreement is an understanding that allows free-travel movement in 26 EU countries. On the surface it seems, like the Euro to be a good idea, but it is only a good idea when things run properly.

The economic migrant crisis has created a situation in Europe that cannot be coped with by normal means.

Draconian measures are need to restore stability because European leaders didn’t or chose not to appreciate the staggering scale of the crisis unfolding before their eyes. Although important, the humanitarian aspect clouded the judgement of the leaders in Europe and elsewhere, nothing else apparently mattered, like national and economic security concerns.

You will have noticed that I was as far back as 2011, in print, calling for the establishment of the EU internal immigration policy. Lots of people laughed at that idea. It had one problem like many of the ideas that I come up with, it was ahead of its time.

I have criticised Angela Merkel who didn’t take the migrant problem seriously, now it seems that the Germans have come to the inescapable conclusion that action is needed, Germany has unilaterally re-established national border controls, Slovakia and Austria are now following suit as I said should happen.

It is the right thing to do, along with mobilisation of the armed forces.

In a previous post I highlighted that Europe was heading towards violence and breakdown of society, Turkish people and Kurds have been fighting in Germany, troops have had to be placed on standby. This is a by-product of Angela Merkel not thinking things through properly, we cannot allow ethnic violence on the streets of Europe.

That needs to be stamped out immediately with a zero tolerance policy.

It is clear that the idea of a new EU border force must be accelerated and the time table of this pushed forward by EU ministers. Under my vision of the new EU border force, each country is still directly responsible for their borders, but they can call for assistance either civil or military from other EU member states. No state gives up any aspect of sovereignty by this arrangement, this is important to be fleshed out. 

9,000 migrants entered Hungary in one day alone, this is dangerous, I have to say the Hungarian response although very pro active hasn’t found favour with its neighbour Serbia.

Serbia is living in denial. 

The Serbian government has wrongly called for the restrictions to be lifted as Hungary declares state of emergency in two of its counties. This cannot be lifted; the EU is in the middle of a full blown crisis, the like of which hasn’t been seen since the end of the Second World War. Serbia from what I see if failing to step up to meet this challenge in a matter you could reasonably expect.

The focus in some of the European leaders is to call for a migrant quotas, this isn’t the solution to the problem, it is a symptom of being paralysed by political inactivity and it shows as I keep saying that the EU is in need not just of technical reform but of a new vision which member states can embrace.

I don’t agree with German threats that EU funds to member states that refuse to accept migrant quotas is the way to go, each member state should arrive at their own decision, and if they decide to accept no one, then they shouldn’t be punished.

Serbian minister for labour and social policy, Aleksandar Vulin cannot cope with the current situation; his unhelpful comments seem to be a tad bizarre.

He said:

“You cannot send anyone to Serbia without their permission, without their free will. They are not criminals. They have not done anything wrong by any criminal law. You cannot send them to Serbia without their permission.”

He also added previously that Serbia would not accept anyone being returned to his country having already entered Hungarian territory:

“That's no longer our responsibility. They are on Hungarian territory and I expect the Hungarian state to behave accordingly towards them.”

What he is basically saying is that because Serbia failed to secure its own borders, the responsibility for that failure should be passed onto the Hungarian authorities and he is washing his hands of it.

That isn’t leadership.

An interesting development has occurred; European governments are aiming to deny the right of asylum, EU ministers are now apparently calling for the establishment of refugee camps in Italy and Greece, this means detention of what are called “irregular migrants”, those denied asylum but facing deportation. The next stage of the process would be the funding and building of camps in Africa and elsewhere outside the European Union.

I have no problem with detention in camps in Italy and Greece as long as the camps are properly regulated and conform to humane standards, but I doubt the second part of the EU ministers plans are viable. I would also consider that the denial of asylum needs more discussion both informally and legally by EU ministers, and shouldn’t have any decision made at this time.

Finally, like many other people, I have seen the picture of three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi who drowned and was washed up on a beach. I don’t wish other little kids to suffer, so it is appropriate that the aid effort to provide food, water, medical aid and temporary shelter is increased.

And that means all EU countries pitch in.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University