Twelve EU countries urged the European Commission in a letter to provide funds to member states for the construction of walls to prevent illegal immigration. According to "Al Arabiya," the European Commission has officially rejected funding for building walls at the EU borders. Bloomberg reported on Friday that ministers from countries including Austria, Greece, Hungary, and Poland described the establishment of a "physical barrier" as an effective border measure that serves the interests of the EU, not just the member states.
In the letter sent to Margaritis Schinas, Vice President of the European Commission, and Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs, they stated: "This legitimate measure should be adequately and additionally funded from the EU budget as a priority." Lithuania, one of the signatory states, has already decided to build a 508-kilometer fence along its border with Belarus to stop an unprecedented wave of migrants flowing into Eastern Europe.
Neighboring Latvia has unveiled a similar plan to build a 134-kilometer barbed wire fence along its border with Belarus. Officials in Lithuania and the EU have stated that the arrivals are part of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's strategy in response to EU sanctions against his government for suppressing pro-democracy opposition, although Lukashenko denies these claims.
Ministers from the twelve countries are calling for stricter provisions while the Commission is considering changes to the Schengen border law. They noted that there are currently no clear rules regarding the actions that member states can take in the case of large influxes of illegal migrants pushed by a third country for political leverage. A Commission spokesperson stated that the EU has received the letter and will respond, adding that EU funds are available only for comprehensive border management systems.
