Central European states deride new EU refugee plan

Central European states have flatly rejected European Union plans for a new system to spread the burden of the migration crisis, which would impose substantial fines on member states that refuse to take their allocation of asylum seekers.

Under a new "fairness mechanism" proposed by the European Commission, the EU would calculate how many migrants each member state could handle according to its size and wealth.

If the number of arrivals exceeded this amount by 50 per cent, then an automatic system of redistribution would be triggered. Member states could only opt out of this system by paying €250,000 for each migrant that they rejected to the country that accepted them.

Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia immediately derided the scheme, which was unveiled on Wednesday, calling it a rehash of a refugee "quota" plan that they have repeatedly called unfair and unworkable.

"This is the kind of blackmail that will lead nowhere," said Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto, after a meeting in Prague of top diplomats from the four central European states, which form a loose partnership called the Visegrad Group.

Mr Szijjarto called any type of quota scheme “unacceptable”, saying: “Only the Hungarian people have the right to decide on whom we let into our country.”

Polish foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski was equally dismissive of proposals that would need approval from EU capitals to come into effect.

“I’m still wondering if it’s a serious proposal, because it sounds like an idea announced on April Fools’ Day,” he said.

No compromise

Polish interior minister

Mariusz Blaszczak

suggested there was no room for compromise on any quota scheme – with Hungary and Slovakia already taking court action against an EU decision last year to redistribute 160,000 refugees around the bloc.

“This is senseless,” Mr Blaszczak said of the new scheme.

“I, on behalf of Poland, stated unequivocally that these proposals are unacceptable.”

Hosting the meeting of Visegrad Group diplomats, Czech foreign minister Lubomir Zaoralek said: "I am unpleasantly surprised that the commission is returning to play a proposal upon which there is no agreement."

The Visegrad states also made clear that they would not support plans to give Turkish citizens visa-free travel to the EU's Schengen zone by June, unless the Ankara government meets all 72 "benchmarks" demanded by Brussels.

The easing of visa rules is part of a controversial EU-Turkey deal to stop migrants reaching Greece – to send failed asylum seekers back to Turkey, and for the EU to take Syrian refugees directly from Turkish camps.

The commission said this week that Turkey was on track to hit the deadline, but work was still required in five key areas, including reform of the country’s law on terrorism, anti-corruption measures and other judicial issues.

"We would be endangering the credibility of the EU if Turkey were to be afforded visa-free travel before Georgia or Ukraine because of a deal," said Mr Szijjarto.

Mr Waszczykowski added: “Georgia and Ukraine have complied with conditions and so they deserve to be afforded visa-free travel.”