#EUMigration - Europe plans to run new Moria reception center

Asked about the situation at the recently burnt down Moria refugee camp in Greece at a press conference yesterday (14 September), the German Chancellor and current holder of the Council presidency Angela Merkel said that she believed that concentrating on the number of migrants and not the overall package was the wrong approach. She said that the question was how to proceed, while Germany had taken 400 minors, it was also prepared to provide support in building a new reception centre.

Merkel said that had spoken with the Greek Prime Minister about this and also the president of the Commission. She said that the Greek side had put forward a proposal where the centre would be managed by Europe, maybe in the form of a pilot project. Merkel underlined that it would be in full respect of Greece’s sovereign territory, but would be a European project.

She said that any new reception centre needs to meet the standards required, echoing the long-held view that Moria’s standards were not acceptable, which had been known for some time. Merkel said that the question was how Europe can support Greece, which faced obvious challenges because it is a country with an external border and had already shouldered a great deal of responsibility.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that the EU would bring forward its proposal for a migration pact by one week. The pact will cover asylum, border control, returns and the external aspect of migration, which will be about supporting countries outside the EU. She said that a reception centre to be led by European agencies and Greek authorities was being discussed and that a memorandum of understanding was being drafted.

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