France says Syrian refugee intake insufficient vows to double efforts
Date
4/5/2016 10:08:37 AM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A boy is pictured at the port of Chios where refugees and migrants who managed to leave the VIAL detention center a few days ago are camping out on April 5 2016. AFP / LOUISA GOULIAMAKI
PARIS: France acknowledged on Tuesdaythat its intake of Syrian refugees had been slow andinsufficient but vowed to double efforts to meet commitments inlight of a deal agreed between the European Union and Turkey.
Under a pact criticised by refugee agencies and human rightscampaigners Ankara will take back all migrants and refugees whocross the Aegean to enter Greece illegally including Syrians.
In return the European Union will take in thousands ofSyrian refugees directly from Turkey and reward it with moneyvisa-free travel and progress in its EU membership negotiations.
The first Syrian refugees arrived in Germany on Monday.
"The number of people welcomed is still extremelyinsufficient compared to our commitments and we will need toredouble our efforts" Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault toldreporters during a meeting with his German counterpartFrank-Walter Steinmeier.
Paris promised in September to take 30000 refugees over twoyears after European countries agreed to divide the numbersamong themselves. Until now only hundreds have arrived in Francecompared to thousands in neighbouring Germany.
"We decided to relocate a part of the refugees that are inGreece to France and we want to participate on theimplementation of the accord with Turkey" Ayrault said.
"Germany has started but we will also do it. We will meetour commitments but you need time. We have numberedcommitments (but) we have fallen a little behind."
Reuters