"The accord does not foresee that Italy takes migrants from Germany. "I did not undersign any specific agreement with Merkel [on taking back migrants]," Giuseppe Conte told a news conference after a two-day EU summit in Brussels.
Meanwhile, Greece and Spain have agreed to take back registered migrants from Germany, according to reports.
"France is not the country of the first entry [to the European Union]. Some tried to push us toward this, but I refuse because we should not review our principles and work methods again and again," French President Emmanuel Macron said when asked if any migration centers would be open in France.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron stated arriving at the second plenary meeting of the European Council that France would not open controlled migration centers, despite its strong support of EU migration deal. The French president stressed that rescue at sea was the responsibility of the country in the proximity of those in need of aid.
Macron noted, however, that the European Union could share the responsibility for the centers, similarly with what is going on with the one on the Greek island of Lesbos.
READ MORE: Macron Says EU Faces Migration Crisis as Merkel Gives Up on Finding Solution
The European Council, which began its session on Thursday, has approved conclusions on migration which envisage the establishment of controlled reception centers for migrants in the European Union.
