05 May 2016•Update: 12 May 2016
ROME
Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian PM Matteo Renzi talked about the refugee crisis on Thursday in Rome.
In a news conference in Rome following a meeting, the Italian Premier said: “There is a strong bond between Italy and Germany when it comes to the need of an approach to the refugee problem that cares about humanist values and the protection of human dignity.”
Renzi also said that around 26,000 refugees came to Italy by the sea and added that making a deal with Africa, similar to the one with Turkey, was the focal point of the meeting.
The EU-Turkey agreement allows for the return of “irregular migrants” to Turkey from Greece in exchange for Syrian refugees to be relocated within the EU.
Meanwhile German Chancellor Merkel praised Italy’s efforts on tackling the refugee crisis for the long term and said the countries that are located on the EU borders, like Greece, Italy, Malta should be supported more.
“We don’t let each other down,” she said.
Renzi also slammed Austria’s decision to impose border controls between Italy and Austria.
“Breennero border is a symbol. It is one of the most beautiful places of Europe but now it suffers because of the idea of closure. Austria’s position on this border is backwards, wrong, and illogical and goes against history,” he said.
Europe faces the worst refugee crisis since World War II.
According to the EU border agency Frontex, more than 710,000 migrants crossed the union’s borders in the first nine months of 2015 -- dwarfing the 282,000 figure for the whole of 2014.
