Migrants swamp EU amid calls for 'European' answer
A "European response" is needed to resolve a refugee crisis in the region that respects "human rights and human dignity", European Union Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told CNBC on Saturday, as a new wave of nearly 7,000 migrants were resettled to major euro zone countries.
A mass exodus of refugees fleeing from the civil war in Syria have been among those flocking to Europe in recent weeks, overwhelming Europe's member states and leaving officials grasping for solutions.
On Saturday, 6,500 migrants were able to overcome Hungary's objections and were dispersed to Austria and Germany. Massive protests put pressure on Hungarian, German and Austrian leaders to accept the influx of migrants.
Read More As many as 8,000 refugees expected in Austria
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande are pushing for quotas on how many refugees each European Union (EU) member state should accept.
Meanwhile, the United Nation's high commissioner for refugees issued a statement on Friday that slammed the EU's "piecemeal" approach to the crisis.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's said last week that the surge of migrants threatened Europe's Christian culture, a major factor behind why the country barred their entry.
However, Moscovici told CNBC on Saturday that if Europe does respect Christian values, the region should be capable of welcoming those in need, regardless of their countries of origin.
"What I know about the church is that the church tells people that nobody who suffers should be left apart. And if Europe is Christian, Europe must be capable of welcoming those who suffer from political dramas, and who suffer in a humanitarian way," Moscovici told CNBC on the sidelines of the G20 gathering in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Turning to Europe's economy, the European Commissioner said he believed the recovery is "clearly on track" and noted the turnaround from prior G20 meetings insofar as "Europe is not for once a part of the problem but a part of the solution".
Confidence in Europe was bolstered over the summer after a third bail-out agreement was approved for Greece.
Greece still needs to build trust: Eurogroup head
Moscovici said the EU is currently working with the interim Greek government to implement initiatives that have already been agreed and that the goal is to find "pragmatic and ambitious solutions" to address the country's crippling debt service burden.
The Commissioner said Greeks must give "broad support" to both the bail-out program and the country's next government - which will be formed after elections on September 20 - in order to create a framework for sustaining growth and building jobs.
Clarification: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that protests had put pressure on the Australian government to accept a greater number of migrants.
More From CNBC
Top News and Analysis
Latest News Video
Personal Finance
