MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Union is not considering any possibility of a deal with Russia to alleviate the ongoing migration crisis in Europe, a European Commission spokesperson told Sputnik on Thursday.
"We are not envisaging any kind of 'deal' with Russia on migration. The EU speaks to Russia about Syria and the situation in the Middle East – the root causes of the migration crisis," European Commission's Spokesperson for Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Affairs, Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Natasha Bertaud said.
In January 2016, Finland registered 500 asylum seekers arrivals from Russia against 700 border crossings throughout 2015. The number is expected to grow.
According to Norway’s immigration authorities, the northernmost migrant route has been used by an estimated 5,500 people fleeing conflicts and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa in 2015, as Europe continues to grapple with the greatest refugee crisis in decades.
Next week, the European Commissioner on Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos will visit Finland to discuss the issue of Arctic migration flows.
