The European Council president warned on Thursday, November 12, that Europe faces a "race against time" to save the Schengen free-travel zone, as a plan to halt the influx of migrants from Africa unraveled and Sweden became the latest EU state to implement border controls, the Telegraph reports.
“Saving Schengen is a race against time and we are determined to win that race. Without effective control on our external borders, the Schengen rules will not survive,” said Donald Tusk.
"Time is running out," he added later.
After a fierce response from African leaders at a summit in the Maltese capital, EU proposals to deport African migrants were radically watered down, with a final text saying that failed asylum seekers should ideally be “voluntarily” sent home – raising serious questions about how many can be expected to leave.
A fundraising drive designed to buy African consent fell badly short. Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, wanted states to volunteer €1.8 billion in aid, to be matched from central EU funds. But leaders offered a total of just €78 million, less than a twentieth of the target. A marble statue erected to mark the meeting suddenly appeared hubristic.
“For the saving of banks, in one night we have hundreds of millions of euros. For saving lives, we are relatively reluctant,” said Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament.
