Prague, March 6 (CTK) – The European Union should not pay billions of euros to Turkey for slowing down the migrant wave on its territory, Czech President Milos Zeman said on Prima television yesterday, adding that this is a waste of money and that migration is a large-scale inclusion.
“It is a waste of money simply because Turkey is neither capable, nor willing to do anything with the migrants unless, of course, it wanted to put them in prison, but this will not probably happen,” Zeman said.
The EU promised Turkey tree billion euros for tackling the migrant wave this year and next year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants twice as many, which would also double the Czech share.
Zeman said the Czech sum amounts to 800 million crowns now. The stemming of the migrant flow to Europe will top the agenda of the EU summit with Turkey o Monday.
Zeman mentioned the proposal by a member of his expert group that detention centres be built on Greek islands, where migrants now in Europe would be deported.
“By maintaining these centres, Greece would be repaying its otherwise unrecoverable foreign debt. This is an original solution that would kill two birds with one stone,” Zeman said.
He linked the migration theme with inclusion, or the joint education of children with a handicap in regular schools.
“Migration is large-scale inclusion,” Zeman said.
He said several million migrants are to come to Europe and “somehow mingle with the European population.”
With respect to the differences between European and Islamic cultures, this would hardly work, Zeman said.
($1=24.661 crowns)
ms/dr
