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September 23, 2015

EU Approves Plan to Resettle 120,000 Refugees 
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The European Union has adopted a plan for member states to resettle
120,000 refugees through a quota system over the next two years. The
vote was staunchly opposed by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and
Slovakia. It follows an earlier agreement to distribute 40,000 refugees
across the continent. Britain has refused to take part, instead issuing
its own plan to take in 20,000 refugees over five years. Speaking
Tuesday, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said the
vote is a step forward.

Frans Timmermans: "In and by itself, the decision we took today is not
going to solve the refugee crisis. But without this decision, I think we
would not have been in the possibility to now take the next steps to
make sure that we do better at protecting our external borders, that we
do better at registering people immediately when they arrive, that we do
better at making sure that people who have a right to asylum stay, but
those who don't have the right to asylum are returned swiftly to where
they came from."

Nearly half a million refugees fleeing violence in their home countries
have reached Europe this year.

 

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