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Ciuca says Romania accepts returning migrants under Dublin procedure
The president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Nicolae Ciuca, states that Romania will take over migrants from Austria under the Dublin procedure, noting that "it is not about other additional requests, but what exists at the moment in operation."
"There isn't any form, it is a Dublin format that Romania already applies. There is also the format through which, bilaterally, on certain agreements established, for example, between Austria and Romania, this part of returning illegal migrants who have were found in Austria, and it still works today. There is also the part of exceptional situations, such as the situation in Italy or Greece, when at the European level all those responsible came together and it was decided that each country would take over a number of migrants. So, these are the only ways", said Ciuca, when asked whether Romania is ready to accept the transport of migrants from Austria in any form, in the context of the conditions imposed by this country for accepting Romania's accession to Schengen with air borders, told Agerpres.
Asked whether Bucharest is prepared to accept the return of migrants only under the Dublin procedure, Ciuca replied: "That's what we're talking about at the moment, nothing else."
"And there is another pilot project that is taking place in Romania, it is about the project on the border between Serbia and Romania, through which migrants can be returned in a faster procedure of approximately two weeks", Nicolae Ciuca added.
He explained that the Dublin procedure stipulates that migrants who have been identified as passing through Romania and have arrived in Austria or another country "return from the country they started from".
The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Karner, declared, on Monday, that he presented to the European Commission "clear conditions" that it should implement before Vienna agrees to welcoming Romania and Bulgaria in the so-called "Air Schengen". Karner calls for strengthened controls at the land borders, as well as for Romania and Bulgaria to take asylum seekers, especially Afghans and Syrians.
