Europe’s political leaders have been expressing concern about a possible influx of refugees and migrants in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
In a TV address on Monday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron said European nations “must anticipate and protect ourselves against major irregular migratory flows”.
“Europe alone cannot bear the consequences of the current situation,” he said.
The European Union would set up an initiative to prevent large migrant flows from Afghanistan, Macron said. EU foreign ministers are to discuss the situation today.
In Germany, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer was quoted as saying he expected up to five million people to flee Afghanistan.
Germany opened its borders to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and persecution during Europe’s migrant crisis of 2015.
But in a tweet, German Christian Democrat leader and chancellor-hopeful Armin Laschet was adamant that “2015 should not be repeated”.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the migration minister of Greece, another country that bore the brunt of the migrant crisis.
The minister, Notis Mitarachi, said the Greek government’s border protection was on standby to avoid another build-up of pressure.
Source: bbc.com
