Tusk says 'no consensus' on mandatory migrant quotas
Donald Tusk - Photo EU Council
(BRUSSELS) - EU president Donald Tusk backed down Thursday on demands that member states accept mandatory migrant quotas, saying there was no "consensus" on the divisive issue as leaders met for a summit.
Tusk insisted however that if there is no compulsory system then member states which oppose the idea must make realistic voluntary offers of refuge to deal with the upsurge in migrants, Tusk said.
The Commission has proposed that 40,000 Syrian and Eritrean asylum-seekers who have already arrived in Europe should be redistributed and that 20,000 Syrians living in camps outside Europe should be resettled across the bloc.
"Today we have no consensus among member states on mandatory quotas for migrants," Tusk said as he opened an EU leaders summit where migration is one of the main agenda items.
"The voluntary scheme cannot be an excuse to do nothing. I can understand those who want this voluntary mechanism but they will only be credible if they give precise and significant pledges by the end of July at the latest," he said.
More than 100,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year, most of them landing in Italy, Greece and Malta who say their EU peers should share more of the burden.
The EU held an emergency summit on April 23 after around 800 migrants died when their boat sank in one of the worst disasters of its kind in the Mediterranean.
In response, the European Commission proposed the 28 member states accept mandatory quotas but many, among them Britain and Hungary, have balked due to growing opposition to increased migration at home.
"Solidarity without sacrifice is pure hypocrisy. Now we don't need empty declarations on solidarity, only deeds and numbers," said Tusk.
The former Polish premier said he believed it will take time to build a consensus on migrants but the EU had to take action now.
"First and foremost, we need to contain illegal migration and this should be our priority," he said. "Today I expect (leaders) to send a strong message. All those who are not legitimate asylum-seekers will have no guarantee that they will stay in Europe."
A draft summit statement seen by AFP makes no mention of mandatory quotas but calls on EU leaders to accept the Commission's resettlement proposals.