BRUSSELS: The European Union blasted Athens for its handling of the migrant crisis Wednesday, saying it had “seriously neglected” its duty to protect the bloc’s frontiers, raising the prospect of border controls with the rest of the passport-free zone.
The criticism came ahead of a Swedish announcement that it intends to expel up to 80,000 migrants who arrived in 2015 and whose application for asylum has been rejected.
Flimsy boats packed with migrants are still arriving on Greek beaches every day, with the passengers — mostly fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan — undeterred by cold wintry conditions.
Rescuers on Wednesday found the bodies of seven more drowned migrants, including two children, after their boat sank near the Greek island of Kos — just five days after 45 people perished in the Aegean Sea.
The European Commission said Greece could face border controls with the rest of the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone if it fails to acts.
