Fine states that turn back migrants: Macron

More than half of the EU leaders were to meet in Brussels last night to grapple with a resurgent political crisis over migration.

Rescued asylum-seekers aboard the Lifeline on Thursday. Picture: AP

More than half of the EU leaders were to meet in Brussels last night to grapple with a resurgent political crisis over migration that threatens to tear the bloc apart.

On the eve of the mini-summit in Brussels, French President ­Emmanuel Macron said states that refuse to accept migrants should face financial penalties.

Mr Macron’s comments came after Italy’s new populist government declared that its ports were closed to foreign-flagged rescue ships, after accusing fellow EU members of failing to share the burden of migrant arrivals.

Mr Macorn, speaking after talks in Paris with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, said member states that benefit from EU co-operation but “claim ­national self-interest when it comes to the issue of migrants” should have sanctions imposed on them.

Mr Macron’s comments drew a scathing response from Rome. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini denounced his “arrogance”.

“Six-hundred-and-fifty thousand landings in four years, 430,000 applications .., 170,000 apparent refugees currently housed in hotels, buildings and apartments at a cost exceeding €5 ($7.8bn) billion,” Mr Salvini said.

“If for the arrogant President Macron this is not a problem, we invite him to stop the insults and to demonstrate generosity by opening the many French ports and ceasing to push back women, children and men” at the flashpoint Italian border town of Ventimiglia.

Sixteen leaders were to open talks in Brussels at 3pm (11pm AEDT) in response to alarm about growing rifts not only among the EU’s 28 members but also within the German government, the bloc’s most powerful. The top-level talks are designed to help clear the heavy air for a previously scheduled full summit of all EU leaders on Thursday and Friday. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has conceded “no solution will be reached” on the overall migration issue at either summit. This is despite a sharp fall in migrant arrivals since their peak in 2015, when more than a million Syrian asylum-seekers and others entered the bloc.

Since assuming office several weeks ago, Italy’s populist government has refused to admit ­foreign-flagged rescue ships packed with hundreds of refugees. After turning away the Aquarius, which later docked in Spain, Rome vowed on Saturday to block the Lifeline, a German charity vessel with more than 230 people aboard. Malta also refused to take in the ship, but delivered humanitarian aid.

Italy’s stance has raised tension with Germany and within Mrs Merkel’s coalition, with EU diplomats saying the mini-summit is to help “save” the Chancellor. Her new hardline Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer, has given her until the end of the month to find a European deal to curb new arrivals. If that fails, he vowed to order border police to turn back migrants, which means many will have to return to Italy.

Mrs Merkel got Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to ­attend the meeting by telling him pre-written conclusions had been withdrawn, Italian officials said. Draft conclusions included calls to speed up returns to countries tasked with processing them. Mr Macron and Mr Sanchez, due in Brussels last night, proposed closed centres in arrival countries to hold asylum-seekers until claims are processed.

Rounding out the 16 leaders are those from Austria, Greece, Malta, Bulgaria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Croatia, Slovenia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg. Staying away are the leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who oppose migration.

AFP