EU migrant pact disappoints

Migrants wait near a red cross tent after disembarking from the Belgian Navy Vessel Godetia at the Trapani harbor, Sicily, Italy, Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Hundreds of migrants were rescued Tuesday by the Godetia Belgian Navy Vessel, part of a EU Navy Vessels fleet taking part in the Triton migrants rescue operations.
Migrants wait near a red cross tent after disembarking from the Belgian Navy Vessel Godetia at the Trapani harbor, Sicily, Italy, Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Hundreds of migrants were rescued Tuesday by the Godetia Belgian Navy Vessel, part of a EU Navy Vessels fleet taking part in the Triton migrants rescue operations.

BRUSSELS -- The European Union decided Friday to share 40,000 of the foreigners landing in Italy and Greece, but foot dragging and verbal sniping over the move exposed divisions about how to deal with the influx of people crossing the Mediterranean to enter Europe.

More than 114,000 people fleeing wars or poverty have been plucked from the sea so far this year as they try to cross in smugglers' boats. About 2,600 have died or are missing along the route, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Many believe the EU's response to the crisis has been underwhelming.

"It is -- to tell the disturbing truth -- a very modest effort," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday after EU leaders agreed at a summit to decide by late July on how to distribute the people among EU countries.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi agreed.

"It's not a big number," he said of the 40,000 people who will be relocated. "For Italy it's a small help, but there's still a lot of work to do."

Greece and Italy have been swamped by the arrivals, while Hungary and Bulgaria also are overwhelmed by thousands of foreigners traveling over land. Things are likely to get worse during the summer, experts said.

Many European countries are acting on their own in response to the crisis. Hungary has pledged to build a fence to keep out the torrent of people crossing its border with Serbia. France and Italy have been at loggerheads over the movement of foreigners along their common border. Police have dismantled camps for the displaced people in northern France, where people are hoping to cross into Britain.

Greece and Italy have been accused of not properly screening arrivals and allowing them to move deeper into the 28-nation EU.

In an effort to ease some of their strain, Juncker's team has tried to force northern EU countries to share the burden. But the notion of mandatory quotas for the number of people each nation must take was rejected at the summit.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel called Friday's decision "saddening and disappointing."

The decision to share 40,000 Syrians and Eritreans arriving over the next two years -- and a separate move to resettle 20,000 people from outside Europe -- only came after an emotional appeal from Italy.

"If you don't agree with 40,000 refugees, you don't deserve to be called Europe," Renzi was quoted as saying to the leaders as the debate dragged into the night.

"If this is your idea of Europe, you can keep it. Either there is solidarity or don't waste our time," he said, according to an EU diplomat, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were not public.

The emergency plan was initiated in response to the deaths of hundreds of people in the Mediterranean earlier this year. At a hastily organized summit, ships, planes and other equipment were pledged to help rescue those trying to go to Europe.

Information for this article was contributed by Nicole Winfield of The Associated Press.

A Section on 06/27/2015

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