‘Migration Must be Stopped’: Central EU Leaders Demand Border Shutdown

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz (L) speaks with Czech Republic's Prime Mini
LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images
Virginia Hale

The flow of third world migrants must be brought to a halt, European leaders said over the weekend, with Sebastian Kurz calling for EU nations to begin blocking boats from Africa.

Der Standard reported the Austrian Chancellor [pictured above, left] held a telephone conversation with Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, in which the pair agreed that the situation with migrants being ferried across the Mediterranean was not sustainable.

“We are both of the opinion that the EU cannot just allow every ship to dock,” said Kurtz, urging other nations in the bloc to close their ports to boats carrying illegal immigrants.

According to a statement from Austria’s Federal Chancellery published Sunday, the Conservative head of state said migrant-laden vessels should be stopped at the EU’s external border, and asylum seekers either returned to their country of origin or delivered to a safe third country on mainland Africa.

The discussion between the two leaders came amidst a fresh row between Malta and Italy over migrants, with Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli calling for sanctions on the tiny island nation over its refusal to open “its ports to solidarity” and take in rescue boats.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the nation “will be forced to take action that would end the trafficking business forever,” if Malta refused to take responsibility over a batch of 177 migrants stuck on the Diciotti vessel, adding: “That means escorting people back to Libya”.

On Saturday meanwhile, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš [pictured top, right] urged Europe to send a strong message showing the continent’s doors have closed, declaring: “We must make it clear that the security of our people is the highest priority for us”.

“Evidence and developments from elsewhere in Europe” illustrate that “migration is a big problem and it needs to be stopped”, he said in an interview published Saturday, highlighting recent events in Sweden, where rampaging youths set fire to as many as 100 vehicles.

“First of all, we have to send a clear signal that Europe is closed and that no one can come in anymore. The message must be: ‘Stay home, we will help you there’,” Babiš told Prague newspaper Právo.

“I went to politics to fight for Czech interests and our security,” added the populist billionaire, who has been described by some as a ‘Czech Donald Trump’. “When I said that we would not take even one illegal immigrant, that is what happened.”

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.