Romania States its Price For Taking in Refugees

Romania's Supreme Defence Council is to decide next week how many refugees the country can accomodate, but the number cannot exceed the current capacity of some 1,500 places in six reception centres, Prime Minister Ponta announced on Monday.

"Romania is a European country and must show solidarity with what is happening in Europe. But we can't take in more refugees than we can shelter. Besides, of the 1,500 places, 200 are already occupied," Ponta said.

He added that if Romania was asked to take in more, it should have the same rights as the other EU countries, including the right to join to the EU's passport-free Schengen Zone.

"Now we can see the injustice done to Romania with the Schengen accession, as the very same countries that are now asking for our solidarity are the same countries that have postponed our Schengen accession," he said.

On his part, President Klaus Iohannis also said late on Monday that Romania can take in a maximum 1,785 migrants in a voluntary scheme to help ease pressures on the European Union from an influx of refugees fleeing Middle East wars but opposes any compulsory EU quotas,

Several key EU member states, including Germany, The Netherlands and France have opposed Romania's accession to the Schengen Zone, saying that Romania has not made sufficient progress in fighting corruption and organised crime.

The situation improved in recent months, however, with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier saying in March that Berlin is shifting in favour of Romania's admission to the Schengen area.

Unanimous agreement is needed in the EU before a new country can join the Schengen area, however.

Analysts said that while Romania could not set such conditions, the Bucharest authorities have the...