Migration: "We hoped for more undoubtedly"

Sweden hoped for “more’’ from the European Council, the EU member states should have agreed on relocation of migrants, ahead of the meeting, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Friday.

On Thursday, the European Council agreed on several aspects of migration policy, including the establishment of “regional disembarkation platforms, in close cooperation with relevant third countries’’ and controlled centres in EU member states.

The resettlement or relocation across the European Union is expected to be done on voluntary basis.

“We hoped for more undoubtedly, a new political landscape has appeared in Europe.

“We should have agreed on relocation of migrants ahead of the summit, but some countries do not want to accommodate them. They believe that it is enough to close borders,’’ Lofven said, as quoted by the Aftonbladet newspaper.

The prime minister described the talks as “long and, at times, difficult.’’

Lofven told the SVT broadcaster on Thursday that he was dissatisfied with the results of the meeting because of the absence of the agreement on relocation across the EU countries.