EU might appear divided regarding the way refugee crisis has been dealt with, but in fact the gradual transformation of Greece into a ‘warehouse of souls’ benefits also those who claim that they are opposed to closing the borders.
Austria and Visegrad countries that agreed on closing their borders claim that their decision has also solved the problem of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Indeed, closing the borders does not only solve the problem of Austria, but also of Germany and other European countries which are the final destination of the refugees and immigrants.
And now that this situation is a fact, Berlin, Paris, and European Commission are expressing their sympathy towards Greece stating they will not leave Greece alone. But, what they mean is that Greece will become a huge hotspot in exchange for poor rewards.
The European Commission approved to grant Greece 700 million euros to address the humanitarian crisis, while EU has informally given the green light for small concessions concerning the review of Greek program, even though EU claims that refugee is not linked to program review.
At today’s summit, however, Greece’s practical demands will not be fulfilled. The stranded refugees will not be distributed proportionally, as Merkel’s spokesperson stated that this issue is not included in the agenda. There will be no sanctions against Austria and other countries, as Athens has asked for. And of course, borders at Idomeni will remain closed.
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