Greece fumes over Austria's 'hostile' migration policy



ATHENS: -- Austria’s tough stance on migration is undermining the EU’s response to the refugee crisis, Greece’s interior minister told euronews on Thursday.

Yiannis Mouzalas branded Vienna’s decision not to invite Greece to a mini-summit on the topic as “hostile”; Athens has since recalled its ambassador from Austria over the row.

“Austria used to be a friendly country, now it’s taking a hostile action. We don’t describe it as a hostile country but we clearly say that this specific action is hostile and painful for our country but also for Europe,” he told euronews’ Efi Koutsokosta.

“The EU plan which Austria supported was saying no fences but relocation, not setting dogs on the migrants but resettlement, not close borders but registration. There is a clear plan.”

“It’s clear that as these broken promises are increasing, we will also go to unilateral actions. Not because we want to but because we will not have any other choice.”

Mouzalas was speaking after a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels on the matter.

Officials close to the discussions said that Mouzalas clashed with his Austrian counterpart, Johanna Mikl-Leitner.

On leaving the meeting, Mikl-Leitner called into question Greece’s place in the passport-free Schengen zone and whether the country could properly manage its borders.

“If it is really the case that the Greek external border cannot be protected, can it be still a Schengen external border?” she said.

Leaders will meet again in the Belgian capital on March 7th with the Turkish government to seek further progress on how to solve the crisis.

They will assess a three-billion-euro deal inked with Ankara in November aimed at stemming the influx of people from Turkish shores.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-26

Greece. Open your eyes.

You are getting shafted.

So where is this much vaunted EU cooperation?

Devil take the weakest and the old guard close ranks. What a pathetic shambles the whole European project is.

Hmm... I wonder how much money Austria has given Greece since the financial cricis....

Hmm... I wonder how much money Austria has given Greece since the financial cricis....

Greece overspent, borrowed more than it could ever pay back, overspent again and had to be bailed out.

Greece can't patrol its own borders. Nothing to do with Shengen. These are illegal immigrants penetrating Greek borders, not European citizens moving freely within the EU. Greece wants everyone else to bail them out.

The Southern European countries, and subsequently some of the Eastern ones see the EU as a free hand out club in which they can also off load their problems and responsibilities.

Well done Austria - don't bow to Greek theatricals and German hypocrisy.

The Greeks are only fuming that Austria has decided not to let migrants in because they wish they'd thought of it first.

Hmm... I wonder how much money Austria has given Greece since the financial cricis....

Greece overspent, borrowed more than it could ever pay back, overspent again and had to be bailed out.

Greece can't patrol its own borders. Nothing to do with Shengen. These are illegal immigrants penetrating Greek borders, not European citizens moving freely within the EU. Greece wants everyone else to bail them out.

The Southern European countries, and subsequently some of the Eastern ones see the EU as a free hand out club in which they can also off load their problems and responsibilities.

Well done Austria - don't bow to Greek theatricals and German hypocrisy.

You have to wonder why Greece can't patrol its own borders though don't you? They have a huge military just sitting on their <deleted> eating Moussaka! Greece could easily solve this problem, but they are using it as a bargaining chip

A year ago the Austrian government compared the Hungarian prime minister to Hitler and

the Nazi's for closing its boarders and severely restricting migration. A bunch of hypocrites.

they are now, but common sense has set in. Greece has to return boat people to Turkey.

At least the ones who don't make it to shore and need to be rescued. Three to five million

expected this year, a 8 to 1 family reunification expected to start in two years after refugee

status has been granted and the one year waiting period has passed. So, Germany and

Europe, you haven't seen anything yet.

Overview: a totally divided Europe will not be able to deal with the crisis.

End of the EU, individual borders will come back and moving to Europe as an unwanted guest will be less interesting.

End of crisis.