On a visit to Greece -- on the frontline of Europe's worst migration crisis since World War II -- Tusk told economic migrants it was pointless to apply for asylum in the European Union.
"I want to appeal to all potential illegal economic migrants wherever you are from: Do not come to Europe," Tusk told a press conference in Athens after talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
"Do not believe the smugglers. Do not risk your lives and your money. It is all for nothing."
And with thousands stuck on the Greece-FYROM [***] border after Austria and Balkan states began tightly restricting migrant entries, Tusk lashed out at "unilateral" actions by EU members as "detrimental to the European spirit of solidarity".
The border restrictions have left Greece with a huge bottleneck of migrants as FYROM [***] lets only a trickle through, with the EU estimating the number stranded in miserable conditions could be as high as 12,000.
Tsipras said he would like to see sanctions imposed on EU states that undermine joint decisions by the 28-member bloc.
"Greece will demand... that there be sanctions to those who do not respect (European solidarity treaties)," he told a press conference with Tusk.
Massive aid plan
The EU chief was in Athens as part of a regional tour on the migration crisis ahead of a summit Monday between the EU and Turkey, the gateway for hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees, many from Syria, hoping to start new lives in Europe.
Tusk was heading to Ankara for talks later Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who he will press for more "intensive" help in reducing the flow of migrants landing on Greek beaches.
The diplomatic blitz comes after the EU unveiled a 700-million-euro ($760-million) emergency aid plan Wednesday to help Greece and other countries deal with Europe's worst migration crisis since World War II.
It is the first time the bloc has responded to a situation within its borders in the same way as it treats humanitarian disasters in developing countries.
The United Nations has warned of a looming humanitarian crisis on the Greek-FYROM [***] border, where aid agencies have reported a lack of food and tents and warned that the wintry weather is taking a toll on people's health.
In bleak scenes, refugees have been forced to queue for hours for meagre food rations at the mud-soaked, overpacked Idomeni camp on the border.
With FYROM [***] tightly restricting passage across the border, only around 500 Syrian and Iraqi refugees have been allowed through since Tuesday, according to Greek police.
Austria's foreign minister on Thursday urged Greece to stop migrants from pursuing their journey to northern Europe, saying Athens should hold new arrivals at registration "hotspots".
"Those who manage to arrive in Greece should not be allowed to continue on their journey," Sebastian Kurz told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper...
[ i24news.tv]
3/3/16
***[After the necessary corrections with the name "FYROM"]
***[GREECE recognized this country with the name "FYROM"]
***[UN resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993]
***El Kratos uses the recognized name FYROM.
By using El Kratos, you agree to the U.N. Charter in this issue.
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