MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In recent months, Europe has been facing an enormous influx of migrants — many of whom are fleeing the conflict in Syria. Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, about 11 million people have been displaced due to ongoing violence, including 4 million who have fled the country, according to UN estimates.
"The United States Could do much, much more [in respect of refugees] <…> US has a special responsibility to politically help arrive at the solution in Syria to end the conflict, because until that happens, there will be a continuous outflow of people," Muiznieks said in a televised interview.
As the refugee crisis escalated, Washington pledged to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees. Earlier this week, US law enforcement and security officials expressed concerns that resetting Syrians could present a major terrorism risk.
According to the official, the EU migrant crisis is not new, and this was "very predictable" that people would move, as Europe registers the consequences of political and military decisions taken in Syria.
The commissioner underscored that seeking asylum is not a crime, and people should not be detained for doing so, and those who need protection should be given it.
According to the EU border agency Frontex's latest estimates, the number of migrants who have crossed the bloc’s external frontiers in the first nine months of 2015 has already exceeded 710,000.
