Visegrad group rejects EU proposal for further redistribution of migrants

The Visegrad Group countries on Friday resolutely rejected the European Commission's forthcoming proposal on redistribution of further 120,000 refugees within the European Union at its Prague summit.

The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary held a one hour negotiations to seek joint solutions to the current situation caused by the influx of refugees.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Thursday that the aim of the summit was to coordinate the positions of the V4 countries, so that they could act jointly and consistently in the European Union.

Sobotka said that the prime ministers of the V4 countries did not talk about any numbers at the summit as discussing refugee quotas does not go to the point. He said the key to the migration crisis is the situation in the countries like Syria and Libya.

Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said refugee quotas would attract further refugees to the EU. He said that if the discussion on the migration crisis is limited to refugee redistribution, EU countries will meet once a month to negotiate about numbers, although the core of the problem is elsewhere.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said it seems of crucial importance to him that the Schengen internal borders remain open. The closing of these borders would be an enormous defeat of European politics.

The EC will propose the redistribution of refugees from Italy, Greece and Hungary next week. Endit