Germany, France push for joint EU solution to migrant crisis

Migrants walk through a field near the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Friday, March 4, 2016. More than 10,000 mostly Syrian and Iraqi refugees were stuck at the country's Idomeni border as Greek officials said that nearly 32,000 migrants were stranded in the country after drastically reduce of number of transiting migrants.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) Migrants walk through a field near the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Friday, March 4, 2016. More than 10,000 mostly Syrian and Iraqi refugees were stuck at the country's Idomeni border as Greek officials said that nearly 32,000 migrants were stranded in the country after drastically reduce of number of transiting migrants.(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

By Associated Press March 4, 2016 2 min read

PARIS (AP) – Independent national measures to tackle the migrant crisis are counterproductive, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday as she met with her French counterpart in Paris to push for a joint European solution to the problem.

Border slowdowns and closures along the migrant route through Europe have just meant that people are now piling up in Greece, overwhelming the country’s resources, Merkel said at a joint news conference with French President Francois Hollande in Paris.

The two leaders met ahead of a summit of EU and Turkish leaders to discuss the migrant crisis Monday. The Balkan countries and Austria have recently introduced tight restrictions to stem the flow of migrants. That has resulted in thousands of refugees and other migrants being stranded by Greece’s border with Macedonia.

“Unilateral solutions do not help us,” Merkel said, adding Europe needs to work closely with Turkey to stop the flow of migrants, and also to secure its outer borders.

Germany and France agree that the EU has to protect its external border to preserve freedom within Europe, get away from internal border controls and for security reasons, Merkel said.