Removing Greece from Schengen zone won’t help, says minister

Even if Greece were excluded from the Schengen Area over its lack of action in preventing migrants from flowing further to Europe, this wouldn't have any significant practical effect on the migration crisis, Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák told TABLET.TV on Tuesday after returning from a meeting of EU interior ministers in Amsterdam. Greece doesn't share a common border with other Schengen countries, so if it's ousted from Schengen, the measures will be in effect only in ports and airports - and this wouldn't have much impact on migration, noted Kaliňák. According to the minister, Greece currently refuses to prevent illegal migrants from moving further to Europe and it even facilitates them to continue in their way, whereby they cease to be a problem for the country. A problem for Greece would emerge if Macedonia closes its border, however. "Greece should stop claiming that the water border can't be effectively patrolled. This isn't true. Migrants don't flow in skirmished order, i.e. extended into hundreds of kilometres - they instead use the shortest way between the Greek and Turkish shores. This can easily be monitored and migrants sent back", said Kaliňák.