EU nations must not refuse Muslim migrants — Merkel
BERLIN, GERMANY — The refusal of some EU countries to accept Muslim refugees is "unacceptable", Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday, August 28, as Germany called for quotas to divide the influx throughout the bloc.
"That's not right at all that some countries say: 'generally speaking, we don't want to have Muslims in our countries'," Merkel told German public television channel ARD.
Backing the idea of a quota system for taking in migrants, the German leader stressed that "everyone must do their part," and that "a common solution must be found."
A common European migration policy is a highly controversial issue, which will be on the agenda of an EU summit next month, with eastern members the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia refusing to take in refugees under an EU-wide quota system championed by Berlin.
Merkel's decision last September to open the doors to asylum seekers was seen in many European nations, notably those in the east, as an invitation for further mass migration.
Slovak President Robert Fico has vowed he would "never bring even a single Muslim" into his country. Some, like the Slovak leader, voiced fears of the emergence of a significant Muslim community in their countries.
On Tuesday, August 23, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said he does not want a "large Muslim community... given the problems we are seeing" and that each EU member should be able to choose how many migrants to accept.
German public sentiment is sharply divided when it comes to Merkel, who has not yet said whether she will stand for a fourth term in a general election expected in September or October next year.