Prague, March 22 (CTK) – The Czech Chamber of Deputies rejected on Tuesday the introduction of visa-free relations with Turkey that arises from an EU pact on migration with it on the proposal of the opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS).
The European countries that are unable to protect the Schengen border should leave the zone since they threaten the security of the inhabitants of all EU countries, the lower house of the Czech parliament said after Tuesday’s debate on the migrant crisis.
Like last autumn, the Chamber of Deputies resolutely dismissed the introduction of a permanent mechanism for the redistribution of refugees among EU countries.
Its final resolution writes about the need to protect the EU outer border and humanitarian aid to the refugees from outside the EU.
The Chamber of Deputies assigned the government to be prepared for a possible rerouting of the flow of migrants with an impact on the Czech Republic.
The proposals were drafted by the deputy groups of the governing parties (Social Democrats, CSSD, ANO and Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) and the opposition TOP 09.
However, the Chamber of Deputies rejected another part of the proposals. Under them, it should welcome “progress in the talks with Turkey, in particular the agreement on return policy” and support for a financial compensation for Turkey.
The opposition Dawn wanted the Chamber of Deputies to reject the pact with Turkey as a whole, arguing that it poses a security risk to the Czech Republic. However, this was rejected.
The Dawn also wanted the Chamber of Deputies to express disagreement with the reopened process of Turkey’s EU admission, the system of exchange of migrants between the EU and Turkey and the payment of money to Turkey from the Czech budget.
The idea was also turned down by a majority in the Chamber of Deputies.
The debate on migration lasted roughly three hours.
The lawmakers pointed out Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in Brussels that have claimed over 30 lives.
The deputies held a moment of silence for the victims at the opening of the session.
Interior Minister Milan Chovanec (Social Democrats, CSSD) told the Chamber of Deputies that there was no information about a real danger to people in the Czech Republic.
