French president urges border controls amid worsening refugee crisis

French President Francois Hollande Monday urged border controls in southern European countries to protect European borders amid the massive influx of refugees and "welcome (them) with dignity."

France and Germany are "extremely insistent" that border control centers be set up in Greece, Italy and Hungary, Hollande said one day after Germany reintroduced border controls on its southern border with Austria to curb thousands of asylum seekers knocking on its doors every day.

According to reports, around 13,000 arrived in the southern German city of Munich on Saturday, and another 3,000 on Sunday morning.

Hollande also stressed the necessity to reach common alternatives so that "Europe can enforce its borders" amid the resistance of some eastern European states to accept European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's plan of compulsory quotas to redistribute about 160,000 refugees in the European Union (EU).

At an emergency meeting on Monday, interior ministers from the EU's 28 member states were scheduled to discuss Juncker's proposals and try to bridge differences and come up with a compromise able to address the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

Speaking to RTL radio, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve urged neighboring countries to assume their responsibility, arguing that "there can be no solidarity within the European Union if every country does not assume liability."

"If Europe wants to face this situation, it must make decisions quickly," he said.

Source: XINHUA