European Commission Rules Out Any Possible Deal With Russia on Migration

The European Union and Russia are discussing ways of resolving the Syrian crisis, which is the root of the migration problem, according to a European Commission spokesperson.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Union is not considering any possibility of a deal with Russia to alleviate the ongoing migration crisis in Europe, a European Commission spokesperson told Sputnik on Thursday.

"We are not envisaging any kind of 'deal' with Russia on migration. The EU speaks to Russia about Syria and the situation in the Middle East – the root causes of the migration crisis," European Commission's Spokesperson for Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Affairs, Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Natasha Bertaud said.

The Daily Mail reported earlier on Thursday that the European Union chiefs were discussing urgent talks and a possible deal with Moscow to address "growing migratory pressure faced by Finland on its border with Russia."

In January 2016, Finland registered 500 asylum seekers arrivals from Russia against 700 border crossings throughout 2015. The number is expected to grow.

According to Norway’s immigration authorities, the northernmost migrant route has been used by an estimated 5,500 people fleeing conflicts and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa in 2015, as Europe continues to grapple with the greatest refugee crisis in decades.

Next week, the European Commissioner on Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos will visit Finland to discuss the issue of Arctic migration flows.