Italy slams European Union partners over migrant quotas
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has censured fellow leaders from the European Union for failing to devise a mechanism aimed at dealing with record numbers of migrants seeking to cross the perilous Mediterranean Sea and land in southern Europe.
"If that's your idea of Europe, you can keep it. Either give us solidarity or don't waste our time," Renzi said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, European Council President Donald Tusk and the European Commission chief, Jean-Claude Juncker, have lashed out at each other as Europe is facing an influx of migrants on an unprecedented scale.
Juncker is pressing for the redistribution of 40,000 Syrian and Eritrean asylum seekers, who have already arrived in Europe's southern shores, in accordance with a compulsory system, but Tusk, the former Polish premier, opposes the quota system.
Tusk said there is no "consensus" on quotas among EU member states, adding, "The voluntary scheme cannot be an excuse to do nothing. I can understand those who want this voluntary mechanism but they will only be credible if they give precise and significant pledges by the end of July at the latest."
"Solidarity without sacrifice is pure hypocrisy. Now we don't need empty declarations on solidarity, only deeds and numbers," Tusk said.
More than 100,000 people have reportedly put their lives in danger and crossed the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year. A great proportion of the migrants have arrived in Italy, Greece and Malta, whose leaders are calling upon EU partners to take more share of the burden.
"If you don't want to take the 40,000 you are not fit to be called Europe," Renzi complained.
European leaders clinched an agreement on an action plan to tackle the crisis during an emergency summit in April, after as many as 900 people were killed in the deadliest known shipwreck so far of Africans trying to reach Europe.
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