€250,000 penalty for countries’ refusal to accept refugees: European Commission

EU countries refusing to accept refugees could face a penalty of €250,000, according to a Financial Times report. The punitive clause is one of the most controversial points included in the revised Dublin accord on asylum seekers, expected to be presented by the European Commission on Wednesday. The Commission is trying to distribute refugees more justly across all EU member states, alleviating the disproportionate pressures on the first entry EU countries of Greece and Italy who have so far bore the brunt of the large refugee flows. According to FT, the Commission is trying to restore the free Schengen area movement within the EU, which has crumbled under the refugee pressures, as many EU member states have opted to close their borders. The report cites four EU officials familiar with the revised proposal as saying that the penalty will be set at €250,000 per asylum seekers refused entry into EU EU countries, but they add that the amount will be finally determined after negotiations.