EU Prepares to Reduce Number of Migrants

Member countries of the European Union (EU) are set to finance the construction of walls and fences at the borders of third countries in order to reduce the number of migrants arriving in their territories. This was reported by Euroactiv, citing closed negotiations among regional lawmakers.

The report mentions that relevant meetings took place on December 18 and 19. At the same time, a key topic of discussion was the so-called migration 'solidarity' mechanism.

According to journalists, initially, European parliamentarians planned to merely discuss the possibility of relocating migrants and providing financial assistance to countries in challenging situations. However, as noted in the article, EU leadership may seek to generally tighten the borders for foreigners.

“The nature of the 'solidarity' mechanism could radically change with an additional package of measures,” the publication states.

On December 12, the European Border Agency (Frontex) reported that over 355,300 illegal migrants had crossed regional cooperation borders this year. This figure has reached the highest point in the last seven years, analysts have emphasized.