AlHijjah 25, 1436, October 09, 2015, SPA -- EU member states met late Thursday with other countries affected by the flow of refugees out of Syria, with a view to helping them improve their reception capacities, in return for efforts to reduce the number of people reaching the bloc, dpa reported. The European Union is experiencing its largest influx of migrants and asylum seekers since World War II. Many are fleeing war-torn Syria, travelling through Turkey and Greece to the Western Balkans, in the hope of reaching affluent countries such as Germany. EU foreign and interior ministers met in Luxembourg with their counterparts from Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan - the three countries hosting the bulk of Syrian refugees - as well as the bloc's neighbours on the Western Balkan transit route. "Collective responsibility must be translated into collective action," they agreed in a joint declaration. "We are facing the same challenges ... around the Mediterranean, and that's why we are in the same boat," added EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. The talks were also seen as a chance to overcome tensions between neighbouring countries along the migration route that have been trading blame in recent months over their handling of the surge in arrivals. "There were many mutual accusations. That must end," said German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere. "We have to work jointly on solutions." The EU pledged Thursday to increase humanitarian aid to the host and transit countries, with a view to improving conditions for refugees. This includes better access to education and work in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, and enhanced accommodation facilities in the Balkans. In return, the bloc is seeking cooperation to crack down on criminal networks responsible for migrant smuggling, improved border controls, and efforts from the Western Balkan states to process asylum claims locally and curb the onward movements of people towards the EU. EU officials praised Turkey in particular for taking in 2.2 million Syrian refugees. Ankara has a key role in stemming the migration flow to Europe. Earlier this week, Brussels proposed a joint EU-Turkey action plan to manage the migration challenge. As of Thursday, more than 580,000 people had reached southern Europe by sea this year according to the International Organization for Migration. Of those, 441,500 arrived via Turkey. -- SPA 02:05 LOCAL TIME 23:05 GMT تغريد
