Interview: Refugee policies in Europe to create "unspeakable scenes": refugee expert

The current refugee policies in Europe will lead to "unspeakable scenes" in the Aegean, an Austrian refugee expert said, referring to the massive refugees who were denied deep entry into Europe and were stranded in Greece.

Omissions in the past are responsible for the current refugee situation in Europe, Herbert Langthaler, a refugee expert from nongovernmental organization (NGO) Asylkoordination Austria, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The European Union (EU) would have had the opportunity to improve the care situation around the crisis, in which he said many refugees were stopped at the Slovenian-Austrian border and were deported through Slovenia and Croatia.

The European Convention on Human Rights prohibits such deportations, said Langthaler, charging "this is a violation of law."

Consequently the refugees will concentrate in Greece, which faces a debt crisis itself, said Langthaler, worrying about where the refugees should go afterwards.

"UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the World Food Program asked for more money. However the European countries ignored the cry for help," he said.

In addition, a European solution was neglected, Langthaler said, adding most European countries refuse to participate in a distribution program.

"Actually a cooperated asylum system was planned for 2015. It has not been realized because of the self-interests of the member states," he pointed out.

"We need an European solution now and all member states have to participate (in)," Langthaler said.

It was a disaster that large and economically healthy countries, like Poland, the Czech Republic or Britain, believed they had nothing to do with the situation, Langthaler said.

The unwilling Eastern European countries have received much support from the EU in the past 11 years, the refugee expert said, stressing that there is really no reason that they do not want to participate in tackling the refugee crisis.

"I'm not talking about Romania and Bulgaria, who have not the economic power," he added.

Langthaler also criticized the Dublin Agreement, which codifies that an EU country, which the refugee has entered first, has to carry out the asylum procedure.

"It's like a Zombie. Dublin is actually dead, but still spreads terror," Langthaler said, citing a Supreme Court sentence in Austria which ignored the Dublin Agreement.

Langthaler also criticized the Austrian government for its limit of 37,000 refugees this year, describing it as a helpless attempt and legally impossible measure.

Currently in Austria, there are a media mania on the refugee situation and a security problem for the population, Langthaler said, fearing a division of the society.

The refugee expert blamed some politicians for trying to link other problems, like economic woes, with the refugee issue.

On the other hand, Langthaler believed that migration will bring fresh labor force to Europe and help boost the European economy, citing Poland which faces a big problem of the aging population. Endi