EU's Juncker calls EU-Balkans summit amid refugee crisis
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 21 October 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, EU's Juncker calls EU-Balkans summit amid refugee crisis, 21 October 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56813c8bc.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 21, 2015
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has called an extraordinary meeting in Brussels on October 25 to tackle the migrant crisis in the western Balkans.
Juncker's office said on October 21 that the leaders of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, and Slovenia will meet their counterparts from non-EU states Macedonia and Serbia.
The meeting comes as tens of thousands of migrants aiming to reach Western Europe are stranded on the roads of western Balkan countries after Hungary sealed its border with Serbia and Croatia.
Hungary's move prompted the migrants – mostly fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq – to switch to a route via Slovenia, which in turn has limited arrivals, along with Croatia.
UN officials coordinating efforts to help the migrants in the Balkans warned there was no sign the influx of migrants was slowing down, as many had expected with the approach of winter.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
