Prague, Sept 13 (CTK) – An extraordinary European summit must be convoked immediately to deal with the stopping of the refugee influx to Europe, Czech Deputy PM and ANO leader Andrej Babis has written to CTK in reaction to the reimposition of checks by Germany on the border with Austria yesterday.
Deputy PM Pavel Belobradek, head of the Christian Democratic Union (KDU-CSL), told CTK that he does not feel surprised by the German step, which he considers an emergency measure.
Babis pointed out that German Chancellor Angela Merkel originally said Germany would accept all Syrians. In saying so, she invited mainly economic migrants and violated the Dublin agreements, he said.
According to Babis, it is practically impossible to distinguish Syrians from members of other Middle East ethnic groups.
“Germany fails to cope with the [refugee] influx, which is why it is imposing checks on its border with Austria. The Schengen countries should jointly close the outer borders of the Schengen area and make it clear that we cannot accept mainly economic migrants without any limits,” Babis wrote.
Belobradek said “Every state has to be in control of its border. Germany’s step could be expected in a situation where Germany started losing control of its border.”
In reaction to Germany’s reintroduction of checks on the border with Austria today, the Czech Republic has toughened measures and reinforced the police along the Czech-Austrian border.
“It is an emergency measure and the Czech Republic would do the same,” he said.
According to the right-wing opposition Civic Democrats (ODS), Germany’s renewal of checks on the border with Austria is the beginning of the end of the Schengen area.
As a consequence of the German checks, refugees would seek an alternative route to Germany via the Czech Republic, which can expect their massive transit, ODS chairman Petr Fiala said in a press release.
“If so, the Czech government has to launch border checks as well,” Fiala said.
He called for a reinforcement of the police checks on main roads and in areas bordering on Austria and Germany.
“Not even under the pressure of the introduction of border checks should Prague nod to accepting the [EC-proposed] refugee quotas,” Fiala said.
The opposition Communists (KSCM) consider the German step wrong, because the EU’s inner borders are being reinstalled instead of protecting the external border. Berlin’s step may lead to the decline of the Schengen system, KSCM chairman Vojtech Filip wrote to CTK.
Marek Zenisek, deputy chairman of the conservative TOP 09 party, said the Schengen rules enable the launch of temporary border checks by EU members.
Germany is thus playing in accordance with the rules, which cannot be said about some of its previous steps, Zenisek said.
Tomio Okamura, who heads the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy movement, called for Prague to take a measure similar to Germany’s and completely prevent illegal migrants from entering the Czech Republic.
“If all European countries reacted in this way, the problem would be over to a large extent,” Okamura said.
According to Petr Mach, chairman of the non-parliamentary Party of Freed Citizens, Germany’s step amounts to its arrogant pressure on EU countries to make them nod to the refugee quotas.
“First, Germany lured immigrants, offering its generous welfare system to them. Now, all of a sudden, it wants other countries to care for them,” Mach said.
