Hotspots: Europe Debates Initial Reception Centers for Refugees

EU leaders are divided over how to handle the thousands of refugees streaming from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and trying to reach Europe. The reception in Europe can be hostile and disorganized. Some EU leaders hope to establish reception centers along Europe’s external borders to register refugees and conduct reviews on applicants’ status for asylum. Applicants meeting the standard would be distributed throughout Europe and others would be deported. “[I]t's right at these hotspots where the first problems start to develop,” explains Peter Müller for Spiegel Online. “Often, the refugees put greater faith in the dubious tips provided to them by the human-traffickers than in the information they are provided by EU staff.” All EU members would contribute in funding the centers, but peripheral countries like Italy worry about centers transforming into long-term internment camps. – YaleGlobal