H.E. Mr. Matthias Höpfner:

I thank the Chairman for including me in today's meeting. The current refugee crisis is a challenge of tremendous proportions that affects all of us in Europe. It also affects the core values of the European Union, as a community of values, and we have seen dynamic developments in the European Union, as we have just heard. Yesterday there was the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council and a summit is under way this evening. As already mentioned, these refugees are part of the global challenge. The UNHCR estimates there are approximately 60 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. It is important to note that 86% of those people are hosted in developing countries, areas less affluent than the European Union. In August 2015 alone, 105,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Germany. Among those, 45% were from Syria, 11% were from Afghanistan, 9% were from Iraq and 8% were from Albania. Germany is expecting the arrival of 800,000, if not 1 million, refugees and asylum seekers this year, which is five times last year's number. It is a huge challenge to all of us to provide housing, health care, education and a prompt and fair assessment of claims for asylum to this enormous number of refugees.

The vast majority of the German public is showing a great willingness to help incoming refugees. Thousands of volunteers have collected food, clothing and toys and have provided assistance for arriving refugees. In the first half of September, an average of 5,000 migrants crossed the Austrian border into Germany per day. Over the weekend of 12 September and 13 September alone, 19,000 migrants arrived at the southern German city of Munich.

This tremendous influx led to a situation where on 13 and 14 September, Germany temporarily introduced controls and immediate identity registration for refugees upon arrival in Germany at or close to the German–Austrian border. As Ms Nolan mentioned, this measure is in accordance with the Schengen procedures. We see it as necessary for security reasons and to better manage the influx of these migrants.

It is of central importance that we find a joint European answer to the refugee crisis. From Germany's point of view, this European strategy should include the points already mentioned by Ms Nolan. However, let me highlight four aspects of that strategy. I will start with the medium and long-term perspective. We need to find new political initiatives to fight the causes of flight in the countries of the Middle East and Africa. Stabilising failing states and curbing violence and civil war must go hand in hand with efforts to achieve economic development and create genuine economic and social prospects, especially for young people.

Our focus lies on supporting the countries neighbouring Syria and the Western Balkans. Germany has provided more than €1 billion in aid to Syria and its neighbouring countries since 2012. We have discussed with the European Union a means to step up its engagement in these countries, including financially. We have just heard there are concrete plans in this regard and a trust fund for Africa will be decided at the Valletta summit. It is also interesting that the structures and diplomatic channels provided by the Cotonou Agreement could be helpful. There will also be a trust fund for Syria. Following the agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, I believe a new window of opportunity has been opened for diplomatic efforts to move towards a solution. This may be a chance to break the gridlock on Syria. However, it remains clear a political solution must be found.

The second aspect of a European approach is the need to join forces to deal with this tremendous refugee and asylum crisis. Many of the refugees arriving have left everything behind, have risked their lives and those of their families. These people cannot be stopped by walls or fences. Temporary border closures by several EU member states have shown that there is no alternative to joint EU management of the influx of migrants. Last week, the EU interior Ministers discussed the setting up of hot spots for the direct redistribution of refugees in Greece and Italy in an effort to establish a permanent system for refugee relocation. These hot spots are a prerequisite for more equitable burden sharing within Europe and must be made operational as soon as possible.

The decision taken yesterday by justice Ministers on relocation of 120,000 refugees is an important step forward. Joint European border management entails continuing and enhancing our efforts to ensure that the Mediterranean ceases to be a mass grave for people who have tried to reach us. Ireland has shown solidarity by sending two vessels to the Mediterranean as an important and life-saving part of the handling of the refugee crisis.

An important issue is the issue of solidarity among EU member states. The European Union is founded on the idea that when we stand together we can achieve tasks that we cannot achieve on our own. Receiving hundreds of thousands of refugees is an enormous challenge that we can master only when we stand together.

Today’s reality, in which only a handful of states shoulder most of the burden of this challenge, is just as unsustainable as a system that forces those countries that happen to form the EU’s outer border to take the strain alone. We have seen major progress in the EU fora in discussing this matter. The last weeks have seen the majority of Europeans react to the fate of the refugees with overwhelming compassion and readiness to help. It is certainly true for Germany. However, the number of those arriving has also raised fears. Europe needs a system of binding, objective criteria for refugee quotas for all member states that acknowledges their respective capabilities. Yesterday's decision was a major step forward in this regard.

Reliable burden sharing is the key to safeguarding the goodwill necessary to receive and integrate those who come in dire need and to fight xenophobic fears all over Europe. Importantly, it is also key to preserving the cohesion of the EU as a community of values. Germany highly appreciates Ireland’s commitment to voluntarily opt in by taking 4,000 refugees.

Burden sharing also includes immediate assistance to the EU countries that are currently under particular strain. Germany has bilaterally made available emergency funds to aid refugees on the Greek islands.

We need a more integrated European asylum policy. A common European asylum code should guarantee asylum status that is valid throughout the EU for refugees in need of protection. In the long run, we will be able to help refugees in need of protection only if those who are not entitled to asylum return to their countries of origin. The EU must make readmission a key priority of its relations with the countries of origin and be prepared to make technical and financial support contingent on constructive co-operation. To that end, we need an EU-wide understanding on which nations we consider to be safe countries of origin. All countries of the western Balkans aim to join the EU, and we have good cause to extend to them the prospect of accession. This means at the same time that, at least generally, we cannot also treat them as persecuting countries.

We have to act now and must not waste time. There are thousands of refugees, women, men and children, seeking refuge at the doorstep of the European Union. Many of them are wandering around in disarray and are becoming increasingly desperate. Winter is coming, as has been mentioned. It is entirely up to us whether we will unite to send out a decisive signal of humanity and compassion; it is our choice whether we will stand together in solidarity.

In a few weeks, families across Europe will celebrate Christmas with their loved ones and families. We will read and hear the story of a family on the move being turned away, a story that has set the moral foundation and value orientation for all of Europe. The decisions we will take during the next days and weeks will decide whether we Europeans will celebrate Christmas at peace with ourselves.