Spotlight: Europe seeks unified solution to refugee crisis

Europe is struggling to deal with its worst refugee crisis since World War II as afflux of refugees has poured to the continent by sea, by land, and from Syria, Afghanistan, Africa, or other places.

Europe cannot reject the refugees due to humanitarian reasons, yet the influx of people is having a serious impact on many European countries, large or small, rich or relatively poor, forcing European countries to adopt a unified approach to the problem.

The latest refugee incident took place on Thursday near the small town of Parndorf in eastern Austria, where dozens of refugees were found dead in a vehicle parked at the parking strip of a highway.

The number of the dead has surpassed 70, from an initial estimate of between 20 and 50, the Austrian Interior Ministry said. The vehicle carries Hungarian license plates and police have not yet found the truck driver.

Police said that they currently have no idea about where the refugees or the truck are from, or the cause of their death.

Almost all European countries are struggling to cope with refugees who come to them in quest of protection or simply a better life.

Prime ministers of six Western Balkan countries are meeting in Vienna on Thursday, mainly to review the migration issue in the region, which has witnessed a large number of transiting migrants.

Leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia were invited to join the event in a bid to push further cooperation among them in dealing with their common challenges.

Some 237,000 migrants have reached Europe by sea this year, most landing in Italy and Greece. Over 2,300 have died during the crossing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Syrians made up a third of the migrants who flooded across the Mediterranean to Europe during the first half of 2015.

The EU border agency Frontex noted that the Western Balkan region has became a transit area of migrants from Greece following the introduction of visa-free travel within the EU.

From member states in the region, migrants absconded into other EU countries, particularly Austria and Germany, where they applied for asylum.

A number of 35,000 people arrived in Hungary in July alone, meaning the country is joining Italy and Greece as the EU member states most exposed on the frontline.

In an effort to stem the flow, the Hungarian government has decided to build a fence along the Hungarian-Serbian border.

Faced with the situation, Macedonian authorities have declared a "state of emergency" on its southern and northern borderline, sending police and armed forces to control the increased migrant influx and transit.

The number of migrants trying to reach Europe is continuing to rise as a result of Syria's growing conflict and there is no end in sight. More than four million Syrians have fled the civil war to become refugees in the surrounding region.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director-General William Lacy Swing said that "the expected number of arrivals may appear high. But it is a number that could be easily absorbed by the European Union, a huge area with over 500 million people."

"In order to do so, EU member states must cooperate to develop a more coherent and humanitarian approach," he said.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve Wednesday called for greater cooperation between EU member states to deal with the growing number of migrants arriving on European soil this year.

In a joint press conference held with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres in Geneva, Cazeneuve told the press that though "Europe is not responsible for the world's problems, it has a responsibility towards the men and women who are persecuted in their own countries."

Cazeneuve also highlighted the importance of implementing a common European policy towards the migration issue.

Some international organizations are lending a hand to help Europe in this regard. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced the establishment of a "children-friendly zone" for underage asylum seekers from war-torn countries near the Macedonia-Greece border.

According to UNICEF, between 1,500 and 2,000 asylum seekers pass through Macedonia each day, with 30 percent being women and children. Many have fled conflict in their home countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

The UN body called on the countries concerned to recognize the unique status of the children, adding that they have the right to safe and age-appropriate accommodation irrespective of their status as refugee or immigrant. Endi