Valetta, Nov 11 (CTK special correspondent) – It will be difficult for Germany to return Syrians to the countries where they entered the EU, in view of the persisting problems with refugee registration in the countries concerned, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said in Malta yesterday.
Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) was talking to journalists ahead of the EU-Africa summit on the migrant crisis.
Germany announced yesterday its intention to resume the readmission of Syrian refugees to the countries where they entered the EU, with the aim to curb the wave of migrants flowing to Germany.
The readmission of refugees is based on the valid European conventions. Germany ceased to apply them to Syrian refugees in August.
Sobotka said Germany wants to take an approach based on European conventions, which the Czech Republic has been promoting for a long time.
The main problem is that hotspots, or centres for refugee registration along the Schengen border, still do not operate appropriately, Sobotka said.
“I am afraid that with the still lacking consistent registration of refugees on their entry into the EU…, which is a problem mainly…in Greece, Germany will hardly have sufficient data enabling it to implement its plan [of Syrians´ readmission],” Sobotka said.
He also commented on Thursday´s EU summit at which he will represent Poland, apart from the Czech Republic, because both the Polish president and outgoing PM have had to excuse themselves due to domestic developments.
Sobotka said he will speak on behalf of Prague and Warsaw on the issues on which the two countries´ views do not differ.
“Where Poland will want to mention things that exceed the mandate of the Czech representation, I will emphasise that this is a view of Poland,” Sobotka said.
rtj/mr/kva
