EU fully capable of handling migrant crisis – Sutherland

Claims by EU politicians that it cannot cope with the Mediterranean migrant crisis have been dismissed as “rubbish” by special UN envoy Peter Sutherland.

Irishman Mr Sutherland, a former Attorney General, who now serves as the UN special representative for migration said it was “utterly excessive” to claim that it would be “impossible for a Europe of 540 million, which is the wealthiest area in the world” to handle the arrival of a million migrants, “even if all of them were refugees” and thereby entitled to asylum.

Incredible

Speaking against the background of an agreement between the EU and Turkey for refugees to be sent back to Turkey from Greek islands, he scorned as “incredible” the notion that plans were being made to send “NATO ships into the Aegean to stop unfortunate people who are travelling in rickety boats to escape persecution”.

“A large number of member states of the European Union are not prepared to be part of a European solution – they want to isolate themselves. It is impossible for the solution of this to be found by borders, razor wire fences, and navies,” he said. “At the end of the day, we have to have a more constructive engagement with the human tragedy.”