PARIS - Human rights and aid groups are calling on the European Union to make it safer for refugees to reach Europe rather than try to keep out people seeking sanctuary or better lives.
The 25 NGOs said in a statement Wednesday they are "gravely concerned" about EU policies that make it harder to seek asylum and put the burden for handling the problem on overwhelmed Greece.
They said that "in any other part of the world, Europe would be calling on governments to improve the situation. Instead, European countries are shifting their protection responsibilities on to countries outside the EU."
Their appeal comes on the eve of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels focused in part on migration, notably the bloc's efforts to persuade Turkey to stop refugees coming to Europe. (AP)