European Court of Justice: Refusal to accept refugees violates EU law

The European Court of Justice has today ruled that Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic should not have refused to admit refugees and asylum seekers. The suit was filed against the three countries by the European Commission.

Tineke Strik, Coordinator for the Greens/EFA Group in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE), welcomes the ruling:

"The European Court of Justice has been clear that the denial of European solidarity when it comes to accommodating vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers is a violation of EU rules. For too long, some governments have spread populist prejudice against migration rather than respecting EU law. This ruling is ground-breaking for the coming debates on the European asylum system, as it means that the New Pact on Migration and Asylum has to guarantee that Member States share the responsibility for asylum seekers in a fair way.

Time is running out and we urgently need fair solutions to this crisis. Overcrowded refugee camps on the external borders must be evacuated quickly if we are serious about the fight against Corona. It is unacceptable that at a time when there are contact bans in the EU, 20,000 people in Camp Moria are crammed tightly together awaiting disaster. EU Member States must now lead the way towards creating a fair and efficient asylum system based on true European solidarity.”