The refugee issue needs a comprehensive approach

Avramopoulos briefed the ministers on the progress made on the implementation of the 17-point action plan that was agreed at the Western Balkans' route summit and spoke particularly of the weekly contact point video conferences and a monitoring system for the flows.
The deployment of 400 police officers to Slovenia is also underway, he stated and added: "So far, member states pledged a total of 250 officers by mid-November, with 33 already deployed in the country, 40 officers on their way by the end of the week and further 177 within the next ten days."
Needs assessments by all concerned member states will also be finalized in the coming days, he added.
"We are now counting on countries along the route to increase reception capacities to reach the 100,000 places," Avramopoulos underlined.
Regarding the hotspot approach and the relocation system, he said that an important start has been made. "The hotspots in Lampedusa is now in place. The others will follow. We have already relocated the 147 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece."
However, he said that this is not enough. "It is time to shift gears and start delivering on all fronts."