Eastern Europe closes ranks against refugee quotas

At a Visegrad Group meeting in Prague on the 4 September 2015 the heads of government of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia once again rejected a quota system for taking in refugees. This stance is entirely understandable from an economic perspective, some commentators wrote in European newspapers. Others warned that the European states must finally admit that they too played a part in causing the migrant crisis.

This Main Focus from Euro|Topics offers English (+ French and German) translations of a selections of articles in European news sources on this topic.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: New EU proposal to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers http://www.europeansources.info/record/new-eu-proposal-to-relocate-160000-asylum-seekers/

ESO: Background information: Prague springs to intolerance http://www.europeansources.info/record/opinion-prague-springs-to-intolerance/

ESO: Background information: Central Europe’s Shameful Rejection of Refugees http://www.europeansources.info/record/central-europes-shameful-rejection-of-refugees/

ESO: Background information: Refugee chaos in Budapest http://www.europeansources.info/record/refugee-chaos-in-budapest/

ESO: Background information: EU states still at odds over refugee quota http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-states-still-at-odds-over-refugee-quota/

ESO: Background information: EU states favouring Christian migrants from Middle East http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-states-favouring-christian-migrants-from-middle-east/

Deutsche Welle, 07.09.15: Czech, Slovak leaders reject refugee quotas http://dw.com/p/1GSUs

EurActiv, 07.09.15: Visegrad summit rejects migrant quotas http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/visegrad-summit-rejects-migrant-quotas-317388

EUObserver, 04.09.15: Refugee quotas 'unacceptable' for Visegrad states https://euobserver.com/migration/130122

EUObserver, 04.09.15: [Opinion] Visegrad members must stick together https://euobserver.com/opinion/130111

Euronews, 04.09.15: Central European leaders underline opposition to migrant quotas http://www.euronews.com/2015/09/04/central-european-leaders-underline-opposition-to-migrant-quotas/

Prague Post, 05.09.15: V4 PMs reject EC proposal for new refugee quotas http://www.praguepost.com/eu-news/49624-v4-pms-reject-ec-proposal-for-new-refugee-quotas

Portfolio.hu, 31.08.15: V4 countries to hold emergency meet on migrant crisis, plan rejecting EU refugee quotas http://www.portfolio.hu/en/economy/v4_countries_to_hold_emergency_meet_on_migrant_crisis_plan_rejecting_eu_refugee_quotas.30147.html

The Slovak Spectator, 01.09.15: Fico: Countries on outer Schengen border should protect it properly http://spectator.sme.sk/c/20059982/fico-countries-on-outer-schengen-border-should-protect-it-properly.html

Visegrad Group: Joint Declaration of V4 Prime Ministers, 04.09.15 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/joint-declaration-of-v4-150904

EUObserver, 10.09.15: [Opinion] Europe's looming dichotomy https://euobserver.com/opinion/130198

Pravda, 11.09.15: Exodus to Europe: East-West rift is widening (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE169594-Exodus-to-Europe-East-West-rift-is-widening

Euro|Topics: Who's saying what: Eastern Europe resists refugees http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/debatten/links-2015-09-osteuropawehrtsichgegenfluechtlinge/

Deutsche Welle, 11.09.15: Four EU states refuse migrant quotas amid 'biggest challenge' in Union's history http://dw.com/p/1GV0C

ECFR: Commentary 11.09.15: Understanding eastern European attitudes on refugees http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_understanding_eastern_european_attitudes_on_refugees4019

EurActiv, 14.09.15: Anti-Islam protests rock Central Europe http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/anti-islam-protests-rock-central-europe-317594

EurActiv, 14.09.15: [Interview] Czech EU Secretary: Refugee quotas are just a PR exercise http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/czech-eu-state-secretary-refugee-quotas-are-just-pr-exercise-317602

Social Europe Journal, 14.09.15: Eastern Europe’s Crisis Of Shame http://www.socialeurope.eu/2015/09/eastern-europes-crisis-of-shame/

EUObserver, 18.09.15: [Opinion] Eastern Europe 'must not deny help' to refugees https://euobserver.com/opinion/130323

ECFR: Podcast, September 2015: East - West divide on refugee crisis? https://soundcloud.com/ecfr/ecfrs-world-in-30-minutes-east-west-divide-on-refugee-crisis

openDemocracy: Can Europe Make It?, 16.09.15: Refugees in CEE: why the lack of compassion? https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/jan-mach%C3%A1%C4%8Dek/refugees-in-cee-why-lack-of-compassion

The New York Times, 08.09.15: [Opinion]: Eastern Europe’s Compassion Deficit http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/09/opinion/eastern-europes-compassion-deficit-refugees-migrants.html

Eurozine, 11.09.15: The Other Europe http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2015-09-11-rupnik-en.html

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

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