The N-VA wants European reinforcements for Greece to help it counter migratory pressure

The N-VA is asking that Belgium give support to Greece to stay on top of the migratory pressure. Tens of thousands of people are currently trying to enter Europe illegally from Turkey, and the Greek border guard is doing everything it can to counter that. In addition, the N-VA is asking for a more assertive European attitude towards Turkey. On the De Ochtend radio show, the N-VA extensively explained its position.

Strengthening of police for Greece

The N-VA says that police reinforcements for Greece are urgently necessary. “Over 70,000 people are currently thronging to the border fence between Greece and Turkey. There are many different nationalities among those people. If the Greek border succumbs to the pressure, a stream of many hundreds of thousands of people will be on its way to Western Europe. That border absolutely has to remain closed, otherwise the migration chaos of 2015 will happen again. For this reason, police reinforcements must urgently be sent to Greece, not only from Belgium, but also from the other European member states.”

Illegal migration as a political weapon

The N-VA accuses Turkish president Erdogan of using illegal migration as a political weapon against Europe. “To this end he is abusing the hope for a better life for poor migrants in Turkey, with fatal consequences. Yet again a little child died in an attempt to reach the Greek islands illegally. Europe must urgently sign an agreement with a safe country outside Europe to which people who illegally reach the Greek islands can be brought and put up in dignified circumstances. Only in this way can you end the human tragedy in the Aegean Sea.”

Strengthening Frontex

The N-VA advocates an assertive Europe. “Europe must not let itself be blackmailed, but must be assertive and also proactive. Erdogan is neither a credible nor a reliable partner to manage this migration crisis. How can Turkey, with these acts, ever make a claim to being a potential member state of the EU? Or the financial support that the country is already receiving in this regard? We’d be better off putting that money into a strengthening of Frontex, our border protection organisation. In this way we can maintain and strengthen the external border with Turkey. What we definitely must not do is allow ourselves to be led by emotional, impulsive reactions. We need a thoughtful, united but resolute response to Turkey’s actions to show the rest of the world that the EU can take a tough stance when necessary.”

Let go of all naive thoughts about the Erdogan regime

The N-VA is also calling for a strong attitude towards Erdogan: “We already warned about this when concluding the deal with Turkey. Europe cannot be blackmailed by Erdogan threatening to let refugees through. If we allow that, the Erdogan regime will itself play a major role in controlling the flow of asylum seekers. The fear we expressed then seems to be coming true now. We will therefore question the Minister of Foreign Affairs about these events and urge him to let go of all naivety when it comes to the Erdogan regime. Moreover, accepting the request of the Turkish president for NATO support for the operations in Idlib is out of the question for us.”