Prague, Aug 31 (CTK) – The current migration wave will grow stronger, Czech President Milos Zeman told reporters yesterday, comparing migration to tsunami.
“Some people suppose that the migration wave is a short-term phenomenon and it will stop. In my opinion, it will grow stronger,” he said.
One reason is the destabilisation of some African countries as well as other states, while the other one is that the current migrants will invite their relatives to Europe, Zeman said at a press conference.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said after a government meeting yesterday that the migration crisis is unlikely to end soon and that it is necessary to deal with its causes.
Sobotka said he convoked a meeting of the prime ministers of the Visegrad Group to Prague for the end of the week to coordinate their positions on the EU proposals related to the refugee wave.
Slovak PM Fico said earlier yesterday he and his Czech, Hungarian and Polish counterparts would discuss the migration crisis.
Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) said he expected the Prague meeting of the prime ministers of the four Central European countries would call for a special EU summit dealing with the refugee influx.
Sobotka said a half of the refugees on Czech territory were people from Syria and many others came from Afghanistan and Iraq, which are countries hit by armed conflicts.
On Sunday, Zeman said a crushing majority of the refugees were economic immigrants.
Babis said a system to differentiate between economic and humanitarian immigrants needs to be found, the Schengen area must be protected and action must be taken promptly.
Sobotka said the refugees were heading for countries with more advantaeous welfare systems, such as Germany and Scandinavia.
Zeman reiterated that he would like the EU to strengthen its border. However, he cannot see any initiative in this respect, and this is why he is of the view that the Czech Republic should take care of its border itself.
Zeman also commented on the recent petition of several hundred scientists and university lecturers who warned of rising xenophobia and intolerance face to face with migration.
Zeman said their appeal failed to hit the target as the Czech nation is not xenophobic. Some 0.5 million foreigners live in the country with 10.5 million inhabitants and there are no significant political parties with a xenophobic programme in the Czech Republic, unlike France and Hungary, he added.
He considers inhabitants of these countries more xenophobic than Czechs, Zeman said in reaction to a CTK question.
The signatories of the petition should take a refugee home to prove they really mean it, he said.
Zeman has uttered strong statements on refugees for a couple of months. He rejects mainly those from the Middle East and Africa.
He also expressed fears that Islamic State would abuse the migration wave to send terrorist sleeper cells to Europe.
On the contrary, Zeman welcomed immigrants from Ukraine who would have a better chance of integrating into Czech society, he said.
He also repeated that the Czech military should protect the border.
