Migrants
and refugees cross the Greek-Macedonian border near the town
of Gevgelija, on
February 14, 2016 (AFP Photo/Robert Atanasovski)
|
Skopje
(AFP) - Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders on Sunday said Europe must control
its borders but not close them, as divisions deepen over how the continent
should stem its huge influx of migrants.
Koenders,
whose country currently holds the European Union's rotating six-month
presidency, rejected calls for Macedonia to seal off its borders as he visited
the capital Skopje.
"Some
(EU) member states have urged Macedonia to close its border with Greece,"
Koenders said after a meeting with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Poposki.
"Effective
border control is most important rather than this moment going into a
closure."
Macedonia
is not a member of the EU but as a transit country on the Balkan route towards
northern Europe, hundreds of thousands of refugees and other migrants passed
through its territory last year after landing on Greek beaches from Turkey.
Austria's
Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz on Friday warned Macedonia that it should be
ready to close its border to migrants, saying Vienna may also begin turning
refugees away in coming months.
Migrants
and refugees board a train heading to Serbia from the Macedonian-Greek
border
near Gevgelija on February 14, 2016 (AFP Photo/Robert Atanasovski)
|
Since
November only refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq have been allowed to
cross the Macedonian-Greek border, but migrants from other countries have still
tried to get across.
Macedonia
is building a new razor-wire fence parallel to an existing one on the Greek
border to make it harder for migrants to enter illegally.
Koenders
said he still believed it was possible to prevent a "domino effect"
in border closures and find a solution to Europe's worst migration crisis since
World War II.
"As EU
president it is our task especially to talk with Austria, Macedonia, but also
with Greece to make sure to find an effective solution to the issue of migration,"
he said.
"I
still think it is very much possible."
Control borders but don't shut them, says Dutch foreign minister https://t.co/yVoBlLVpTL pic.twitter.com/CChN0CkmwL— AFP news agency (@AFP) February 14, 2016
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