EU Migration Chief Warns of 'Humanitarian Crisis' Amid Diplomatic Spat

EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels have once again failed to come up with a common plan on how to deal with the migrant crisis, over difficulties trying to protect the outer borders of the Schengen zone and various countries going their own way and putting up internal barriers to prevent the flow of migrants through their countries.

A huge diplomatic row has blown up between Greece and Austria and between the Brussels machine and Austria over Vienna calling a mini-summit this week with the West Balkan States, drawing up plans for their own border controls, which would have the effect of cutting Greece off from the rest of Schengen and casting it adrift to deal with the thousands of migrants arriving on its shores every day.

Austria called the conference and invited the interior and foreign ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.

The government statement said that "the aim is to reach agreement on current migration challenges" and discussions will center on internal security, border management, extremism and foreign policy.

Greek Minister of Immigration Policy Yiannis Mouzalas reacted with anger, telling EurActiv.com:

"We think that Austria has made a very significant, very serious mistake, which is a hostile move against the EU and Greece… Until now it has addressed the refugee crisis with seriousness and dignity. Its attitude toward Athens has also been the same. But the last measure it took was a hostile one. After today's meeting I think that Austria will understand that it is making an enormous mistake."

 Schengen Breakdown

"The situation is very critical. The possibility of a humanitarian crisis is very real and very near. We cannot continue to deal through unilateral, bilateral or trilateral actions; the first negative effects and impacts are already visible," said EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos.

"We have a shared responsibility — all of us — towards our neighboring states, both EU and non-EU, but also towards those desperate people," he added.

Meanwhile, he warned that the EU had just ten days to get on top of the migrant crisis — ahead of a summit on March 7 to discuss the US$3.35 billion aid program for Turkey in an effort to help stem the flow through from Turkey into Europe.

"In the next ten days, we need tangible and clear results on the ground. Otherwise there is a risk that the whole system will completely break down," the commissioner told a press conference.