Iceland urges rich European countries to shoulder responsibilities to accomodate asylum seekers

The prosperous countries of Europe should shoulder their responsibilities to welcome asylum seekers, while tackling the source of the crisis, Einar Gudfinnsson, the speaker of the National Parliament of Iceland, told the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament here Tuesday.

"The challenges Europe is now confronting in terms of asylum seekers and the human misery it has caused has to be tackled at its source," said Gudfinnsson. "That, however, does not deprive the prosperous countries of Europe of shouldering its responsibilities."

Gudfinnsson, who took the floor at the world conference which entered its second day, said European countries should "(assist) and (welcome) those who are in need and have been forced to leave their homelands."

Tackling the causes of migration would also involve "increased international aid to countries in crisis and tireless efforts in conflict prevention," he said.

Gudfinnsson said the world is currently facing its worst migration crisis since World War II.

"More people are displaced and driven from their homes than ever before since World War II," he said.

He also noted that more than half of the asylum seekers in Europe were from three relatively small countries.

"It is interesting to note that about two thirds of asylum seekers in Europe are from three relatively small countries in a state of conflict or post-conflict," he said.

According to the European Commission, the highest number of applications for asylum in Europe for the first three months of 2015 came from Kosovo, 48,900, Syria, 29,100, and Afghanistan, 12,900. Endit