It is “first” to welcome them “as best as possible in Poland and in neighboring countries, to see how we can help them in a humanitarian way […] and then see how, in Europe, we can provide them with this protection” provided for in the framework of a 2001 directive, he indicated.
Protection at European level
This regime, set up in response to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia but which has never been used, provides for the granting of temporary protection in the event of a massive influx of displaced persons, and measures for distributing among the countries of the EU the effort to welcome these refugees.
The use of this directive is requested by Belgium. “We must guarantee protection at European level”, asked the Belgian Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Sammy Mahdi. We are at “a historic moment for the European Union, a moment when we must take courageous decisions […]. I will propose to activate this directive today as soon as possible. »
“The main thing is to find non-bureaucratic solutions so that we can quickly accommodate these refugees,” observed German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.