PM seeking support of Berlin, Brussels to curb migration crisis

Speaking from a summit of European leaders in Brussels where he hopes to secure the support of Berlin and Brussels in curbing a newly burgeoning migration crisis, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday described as "unacceptable" calls by European Council President Donald Tusk for obligatory refugee quotas to be abolished.

Not only would such a move make the management of the Europe-bound migrant influx more difficult but it puts the risk of the European Union itself at risk by undermining the concept of solidarity, he said.

"For Greece the important thing is not that certain [countries] should host 200 or even 1,000 people but that they insist on undermining the principles on which the EU is based," he said.

Greece respected the EU's regulations and the sensitivities of other member states even though it disagreed with a series of economic and foreign policies.

As migrant arrivals to Greece from Turkey increase, Tsipras is to meet on Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss the EU-Turkey pact signed last year and aimed at curbing undocumented migration.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is expected to join the talks as Bulgaria is to assume the rotating EU presidency in January.

According to sources, Tsipras is to ask for Brussels and Berlin to put pressure on Ankara to curb migration.

Meanwhile there are concerns in Athens that a decision by the government to start moving migrants from overcrowded island camps to the mainland might encourage smugglers to bring more people over.