EU faces 'moment of truth' on migrants: UN High Commissioner

Europe is facing "a moment of truth" in its dealing with the Continent's migrant crisis, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

Grandi added that the situation facing women was particularly grave. Addressing Parliament on International Women's Day, the UN High Commissioner reminded MEPs that "contrary to common belief, two-thirds of migrants arriving in Europe in the hope of finding sanctuary are women and children".

"We need an answer that goes beyond simple humanitarian help," he said. "We can manage this crisis, but we need courageous political action focused on the future".

"Some 88 percent of people arriving in Europe come from 10 countries in which there are conflicts. Many are blocked at borders without any security and are prey to the risks of sexual exploitation and human trafficking, particularly women," he added.

The inability of the European Union (EU) to organize the welcome on its soil of one million people who arrived in 2015 was "the tragic proof of our collective failure. Building walls is not a solution. It is also unacceptable to stir up fear," he added.

After the extraordinary meeting between EU heads of state and the Turkish Prime Minister held in Brussels on Monday, Grandi expressed his concerns about "any action that would involve return from one country to another without any accompanying measures and safeguards".

Even before the opening of the summit in Brussels on Monday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte insisted that the EU expect Turkey to take back "all non-Syrian refugees" and do everything to stop the departure of Syrian migrants from its coastline.

EU states hope that Ankara will implement from June its promised agreement to readmit all economic migrants and failed asylum seekers that came to Europe from Turkey, and, in turn, return them to their countries of origin.

"Such measures must be defined and registered legally to protect asylum seekers against being sent back," the High Commissioner stressed. "The European response should be coordinated, and a division of responsibilities is required. We have already put forward a package of proposals last Friday to the European Commission," he said.

"The solidarity of other countries with respect to Greece and Italy may be necessary," warned Grandi. "In Syria, 13.5 million people need humanitarian assistance. There are 6 million displaced within the country. Neighboring countries have accepted millions of refugees in very difficult conditions. Some 90 percent of Syrian refugees now in Lebanon live below the poverty line," he stated.

In his speech, which was widely applauded, the UN High Commissioner also emphasized the global nature of the migration crisis concerning "60 million displaced people - mostly women - of whom 86 percent live on continents other than Europe."

However, despite his efforts, Grandi's departure from the EP was disrupted by far right MEPs who took him to task over his speech. Endit