Dutch MPs welcome refugee quotas

Dutch MPs of all parties have welcomed the decision of European governments to impose refugee quotas, but say it is just the first step in a joint European answer to the humanitarian crisis.

The deal to impose refugee quotas was forced through on Tuesday afternoon and will share 120,000 people between the EU states, four of which voted against the deal.

The Netherlands has agreed to take around 7,000 asylum seekers over a period of two years.

Whether the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia will accept refugees having voted against the deal is the question. However, junior justice minister Klaas Dijkhoff told broadcaster Nos: ‘The deal obliges all member countries to accept the agreed quotas.’

First step

Government and opposition are agreed that this is just a first step. ‘Europe must now focus on limiting the numbers of refugees and tackling the causes of the crisis,’ Malik Azmani of the governing VVD party told the Nos.

While the opposition Christian Democrats say the main problem lies in Syria and is pushing for safe havens to be created in that country.

EU leaders are in Brussels for a summit dedicated to the refugee crisis on Wednesday.