German Chancellor Angela Merkel referred to the Dublin treaty as “inoperable”, in her latest high-profile statement regarding the migrant crisis in Europe, three years after a massive influx of third country nationals arrived from Turkey to Greece with the intent of reaching northern and western Europe – and especially Germany.
Her statement was reported by Die Welt, and came during the German chancellor’s visit to Spain. The migrant/refugee crisis reportedly dominated her agenda of talks in the Iberian country.
According to the German mass daily, Merkel reiterated her position in favor of “common European solutions to the migrant issue.” She also reportedly expressed satisfaction with a bilateral agreement with Madrid, while adding that intensive negotiations were under for a similar agreement with the leftist-rightist coalition government in Athens.
Based on initial press accounts and statements by officials in Berlin, Germany wants to return third country nationals to the first EU country (Greece, Italy, Spain etc) they reached after illegally entering the Union, and where they either requested asylum or were registered.
Merkel spoke at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in the southern Spanish city of Sanlúcar.
“It is significant to find a fair system of distribution for refugees; to talk with the countries of origin (where the irregular migrants hail from); to stop the traffickers and to achieve readmission agreements (with the countries of origin),” she said.
