The number of arrivals in Greece has steadily declined since 2015, after measures that all but closed the route from Turkey. It is indisputably a difficult problem, but it has not been made easier by the inhospitable attitudes of some of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe — Hungary in particular — which have stubbornly blocked entry to refugees. This is a shame, given that back in 1989, Hungary led the way in opening its borders to let the people of Communist-ruled Eastern Europe move freely between East and West. And the European Union does not have the tools to effectively punish recalcitrant nations. Hungary and its neighbors are not alone in trying to keep immigrants out.

Source: New York Times September 09, 2017 02:48 UTC