EP resolution puts pressure on EU member-states over refugee relocation

Resolution non-binding

A non-binding European Parliament (EP) resolution calls on EU member-states to accept the European Commission’s plan for refugee relocation. The resolution was adopted with 470 votes in favour, 131 against and 50 abstentions. The resolution also called on member-states to commit for the coverage of one third of all the spots by the end of December 2016. The proposal by the European Commission claims that EU member states could include the refugees they receive from Turkey into in the aggregate number of relocation spots. This practically means that member states will be able to lower the actual number of people they take in by accepting a smaller number of refugees. Leader of the EP group Greens-European Free Alliance, Ska Keller said that ‘resettlement should replace relocation’. Keller stressed that the relocation status was a tool of solidarity that should be reinforced and not weakened. She added that the problem was that some member-states had not received one single refugee. Until now, only 5% of the 120,000 relocation spots provided in the Commission’s plan had been covered.