UNHCR chief says migrants need new legal options
The United Nations' top official for refugees says European Union plans to take in about 160,000 migrants are insufficient, and is urging Europe to provide asylum-seekers with legal immigration options.
Antonio Guterres said the relocation program is a starting point but not enough. Speaking in Athens, he called for the EU to accept more refugees, and expand beyond Syrians, Iraqis and Eritreans.
More than 500,000 refugees or economic migrants have entered Europe this year, four-fifths of whom paid to be smuggled by sea to Greece from Turkey.
Guterres, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, said that "doesn't make sense" when they could have a legal alternative. He says: "We need to increase substantially the forms of people being able to come to Europe legally."
[AP]
