(VOVworld) – Austria has asked EU countries to suspend the policy of free travel for migrants among Balkan countries and refugee hotspots. Austria’s Prime Minister Werner Faymann asked German Chancellor Angela Merkel to adjust the current migrant policy, impose a ceiling rate on refugee intake, and deliver a clear message on migration to the EU.
Faymann said as far as they could not control migrants from free travel among EU countries, it’s impossible to carry out the European Council’s resolution. He said his country will no longer be a transit point for migrants before traveling to Germany. He appreciated Turkey’s action plan to better protect its borders but would neither make compromises relating to visa exemptions for Turkish citizens nor Turkey’s negotiation for EU membership.
Macedonia on Tuesday returned 1,500 refugees to Greece. Spokesman Toni Janevski said Macedonia had strived to prevent a group of illegal migrants without using force.