French President Francois
Hollande on Thursday said that support for countries bearing the
brunt of the Syrian refugee crisis such as Lebanon, Jordan and
Turkey was crucial as he arrived at a European Union summit on
migration.
"It's important to help them," Hollande said. Speaking of
Turkey, he said "clear rules are needed so that it can do its
part, not just to look after refugees," but also to "prevent
flows of people that could lead to further tragedies," he said.
Hollande also said the creation of "hotspots" or teams of
experts who can quickly identify refugees in need of
international protection, was absolutely essential.
"It's important that in Italy and Greece we can have these
centres," he said. "And I am also paying a lot of attention to
what is happening in the Balkans where there are refugees that
are not being received," he said.
EU leaders are gathering in Brussels for the migration
summit, the fourth so far this year, which aims to reach a deal
with Turkey on handling the crisis that has brought record
numbers of refugees to Europe's shores.
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