Merkel clashes with Hungary on migration

Angela Merkel clashed publicly with Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister, over the EU’S migration crisis. The German chancellor chided Mr Orbán over the need to preserve Europe’s “basic humanity” at a meeting in Berlin, exposing the EU’S divide on the issue.

ANGELA MERKEL, the German chancellor, clashed publicly with Viktor Orbán, her Hungarian counterpart, over the EU’S migration crisis yesterday, exposing the bloc’s sharp divisions over the issue.

The two leaders were unable to hide their differences at a meeting in Berlin, where Mrs Merkel chided Mr Orbán over the need to preserve Europe’s “basic humanity”.

“There were common points of view, but also opposing ones, as was to be expected. We see the migration issue very differently,” Mrs Merkel told the joint press conference.

Mr Orbán was blunter. “What we already knew has become clear: the chancellor and I see the world differently. Nevertheless, we strive for a common solution,” he said.

The gulf in thinking between the pair was exposed by the 2015 migrant crisis, when Mrs Merkel threw open Germany’s borders, while Mr Orbán erected steel fences along his own.

Mrs Merkel, who narrowly survived a rebellion within her own government over migrant policy this week, has been pushing for a common EU solution to relieve the pressure on frontline countries such as Italy and Greece.

But Mr Orbán has led resistance from a bloc of central European countries which have argued the Middle East and African migrants are an “invasion” that threatens to destroy Europe’s Christian culture.

Hungary has refused to take any quota of migrants in the EU’S resettlement programme, but Mr Orbán rejected the idea that his country was not showing solidarity.

“It hurts us when Germany accuses us of showing no solidarity,” he said yesterday. Hungary was “taking an immense load off Germany’s shoulders” by guarding its southern border with Serbia and Croatia, he said.

Mrs Merkel countered: “The problem I see, and the difference between us, is that we always have to remember that it is people who are coming to us. It is a question of Europe’s basic humanity. Europe cannot simply decouple from hardship and suffering.”

The two leaders clashed as Horst Seehofer, the German interior minister, held talks with Sebastian Kurz, the Austrian chancellor, to defuse a row over plans to set up transit camps for migrants at the German-austrian border. Austria reacted furiously this week after Germany announced the plans as a compromise between Mr Seehofer and Mrs Merkel, warning it would take steps to protect its own borders with Italy and Slovenia, and raising fears of a domino effect across Europe.

However, Mr Kurz and Mr Seehofer yesterday played down the dispute, claiming to have found common ground. They announced they wanted to close the southern migrant route to Europe across the Mediterranean, and plan to discuss the issue with Italy.

“It is in the interest not only of Italy, but also Austria and Germany, if the migration pressure on this route is less,” Mr Kurz said.

♦ As many as 400,000 illegal immigrants are straining public services and creating social tensions in Seine-saintdenis, north-east of Paris, according to French politicians.

Police, schools, courts and other public services are struggling to cope, a report by two MPS claimed. It said that urgent plans must be made to combat poverty, high unemployment and trafficking of people and drugs. The MPS want a ban on gathering data by ethnic make-up reviewed as they claimed it was putting ethnic minorities at risk.