Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary discuss fence to keep migrant out

Days before the European Union (EU) leaders' summit to discuss the migrant crisis, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said the countries - known collectively as the Visegrad group - were ready to help Balkan countries seal their borders with Greece to stem the flow, raising objections from Germany.The leaders of Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece are also taking part in the discussions.Except for Hungary, central European countries have so far not seen significant numbers of migrants, but they fear that could change if Europe's external borders stay open, or if Germany were to close its own borders.
Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban thinks a border fence should be built on Macedonia's and Bulgaria's borders with Greece - along the main immigration route from the Middle East to Western Europe. He says it's necessary because "Greece can't defend Europe from the south" against the large numbers of refugees pouring in, mainly from Syria and Iraq.Macedonia began putting up a first fence in November, and is now constructing a second, parallel, fence.
After the meeting, Orban said his country is ready to help "those countries that are ready to create a second defensive line south of Hungary."He also said Hungary fully supports Bulgarian membership in the Schengen zone because "it is capable of fully protecting its borders" and called for opening "sensible talks" on Macedonia's EU membership.The Hungarian leader said: "If it were uponly to us Central Europeans, that region would have been closed off long ago."Not for the first time in history we see that Europe is defenceless from the south that is where we must ensure the safety of the continent."
Germany believes sealing Balkan borders with Greece could undermine its approach, which focuses on making an agreement with Turkey to control themigrant flow work and would lead to an accumulation of refugees in Greece, a country already under huge strain.Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said:"If the EU is not active, the Visegrad Four have to be."We have to find effective ways of protecting the border."