EU in talks with UN over migrant centres, but there will be no ‘Guantanamo Bay for migrants’
Brussels — The EU said on Thursday that it was discussing plans with UN agencies to set up migrant processing centres in north African and other countries but insisted it would not create a "Guantanamo Bay for migrants". The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said it envisaged deals that fully protect migrants rescued at sea, under a proposal that will be debated at next week’s EU summit in Brussels. "I want to be very clear on this. I’m against a Guantanamo Bay for migrants," migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told a news briefing. "This is something that is against our European values." Washington triggered global outrage when it began using the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay Cuba to hold terror suspects in harsh conditions after the September 11 2001 attacks. "We are exploring together with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees how we can further engage northern African countries in discussions on possi...
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