Brussels, Nov 10 (CTK) – The European Union should centralise the protection of the external borders of the Schengen area and deal with the issue “from Brussels,” Czech Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) told journalists yesterday.
Greece, through which tens of thousands of migrants are streaming into the EU, has failed in the protection of the common border and it is the weakest link of the chain, Babis said.
The EU member countries whose borders are the outer borders of the Schengen area will receive 4.6 billion euros for the protection of the common border in 2007-2020, said Babis who heads the Finance Ministry.
“One should ask what these countries have done. I think that Greece has not done anything,” he said.
Border protection is an internal issue of the individual member countries and Greece has not accepted any of the offered help so far.
The protection of the external border should be coordinated by Frontex, seated in Warsaw. The budget of this European agency is being increased. Frontex also asked EU member countries to deploy hundreds of experts.
Babis said Frontex failed in its task, too.
“It is not functioning, a European border guard seems to be necessary,” he said.
Such a plan is being considered. In the first stage, Frontex´s mandate would be extended.
Babis said the Czech Republic has to explain its view on issues related to migration more clearly.
Prague has been criticised by some of its EU allies for its rejection of the introduction of mandatory quotas for the redistribution of refugees across the EU.
Babis said German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble is to visit the Czech Republic in December.
