European Union could unravel, leaders in Davos warn

Mounting concern in Europe over the scale of the refugee crisis burst into the open when the Dutch prime minister warned that without a reduction in the flow of migrants, border-free travel under the Schengen agreement could break down within two months. Any reforms to the system could risk the ability of the United Kingdom to send refugees back to their country of arrival, and would put pressure on the Government in the run-up to the referendum on Britain’s European Union membership, which is expected as early as June. “We cannot cope with the numbers any longer”, Rutte said. “If we can not do it there is a risk to Schengen”, he said, referring to Europe’s passport-free travel zone.

His comments were echoed this morning by French prime minister, Manuel Valls, who told the BBC that Europe could not take in all the migrants fleeing wars in Iraq and Syria. “The European project can die, not in decades or years but very fast, if we are unable to face up to the security challenge”. “We need to get a grip on this”.

The Prime Minister thinks it’s good that the debate on the EU’s future is happening so openly, nearly in every member state.

“We risk this cycle that countries ask for European responses, then they prevent these European responses from taking place”, she said, warning against using the crisis for electoral purposes.

Austria announced on Wednesday that it would cap the number of people allowed to claim asylum this year at 37,500, less than last year’s total, and reduce that ceiling annually to 25,000 by 2019.

“It would be a mistake to have a success on the U.K.in February and not address the refugee crisis”, Mr. Juncker said.

German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said those regions needed something akin to the Marshall Plan that funded the reconstruction of Western Europe after World War II.

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker told a news conference that a summit of EU leaders in February should have extra time added on to discuss the migration crisis.

“When spring comes, the numbers will quadruple”.

Migrants and refugees keep warm in a large tent as they wait to cross the Greek/Macedonian border, near Idomeni.

Speaking to the Guardian in Davos, Jim said the bill for refugees was soaring and a new approach was needed.

“The Mediterranean problems are not something that concern only the Mediterranean [EU] countries”, he said. Manfred Weber (EPP, DE), ALDE-leader Guy Verhofstadt (BE) and others said that Parliament stands ready to fast-track legislative work on the European Commission proposal for a European Border and Coast guard. However, Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary, emphasised that the United Kingdom would fight to retain the existing rules.