There has been an
intensification of border controls at the Brenner Pass at the
request of Germany, local authorities from Alto Adige said
Wednesday.
Alto Adige is to take in 300 to 400 migrants bound for
Bavaria after the German region requested emergency logistical
help to deal with a massive wave of refugees arriving from the
Balkans.
Alto Adige has offered to host the migrants for a few days
"as a temporary measure to allow Bavaria to regroup and face the
imminent emergency", according to a note from the Province of
Bolzano.
Italy, France and Germany want a "strong response" from the
EU on migrants, foreign ministers Paolo Gentiloni, Frank-Walter
Steinmeier and Laurent Fabius said in a joint document sent to
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini,
asking that the issue be discussed at a foreign ministers'
summit in Luxembourg on September 4-5.
Those attacking Brussels
for what it intends to do on immigration should look at the
Agenda presented in May, "everything is written there, we are
decided to move ahead with courage and speed", said Margaritis
Schinas, EU Commission spokesman, talking about the permanent
reallocation mechanism for crises.
The spokesman cited a comment of European Commission
President Jean Claude Juncker at the end of the summit of EU
leaders at the end of June regarding decisions on immigration
policies: "timely but insufficient", he said.
"Now the moment has come to complete the framework and we
are determined to do it", said Schinas, referring to legal
immigration channels and boosting the role of Frontex to speed
up the repatriation of economic migrants.
Today the group of commissioners meets for a two-day seminar
in Genval, close to Brussels, and immigration will be at the
center of the gathering. The State of the Union to be held by
Juncker on September 9 at the European Parliament will also
focus on that.
Premier Matteo Renzi said Wednesday it was time for Europe to
"wake up" on the migrant crisis. "Its reputation is at stake,"
he said. Renzi called for a "joint policy" combining shelter for
refugees with repatriation for economic migrants and "saving
human lives".
The European Court of Justice Wednesday ruled against the
Italian law that imposes charges of 80 to 200 euros on
non-European citizens for issuing or renewing short term sojourn
permits. The judges said the cost is "disproportionate compared
to the purposes of EU regulations, and can create obstacles to
people exercising their rights".
The court was ruling on an appeal from Italian trade union
CGIL.
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