EU Member States

: Winter temperatures in the Mediterranean have not slowed the exodus, nor have measures taken by some EU member states aimed at discouraging arrivals, such as confiscating money from refugees or raising barbed wire, according to The Guardian. The greatest push factor is the Syrian war, recently heightened with the assault on Aleppo, which stubbornly grinds on. That already three times more than during the same period last year. Thousands of families continue to find it preferable to attempt deadly crossings across Aegean waters, rather than to struggle in Turkey or be exposed to relentless air raids and sieges. Against this backdrop, the pressing need in Europe is for unity. Whatever small hopes may rest on the cessation of hostilities deadline in Syria – set for this Saturday – it is unlikely to stem the migration flows in the near future. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.