The EC has initiated 40 legal proceedings accusing 19 EU countries of violating the European Common Asylum System.

On September 23, the European Commission (EC) approved 40 legal procedures accusing 19 European Union (EU) member states of violating the European Refugee System (CEAS).

The European Commission argues that these countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Hungary, have violated the rules governing the free movement area within the European Union, also known as the Schengen Area.

A young boy cries desperately for help as his mother collapses after being crushed by migrants trying to board a train. (Photo: EPA)

To cope with the wave of refugees in Europe, Hungary built a system of barbed wire fences along its border with Serbia. Meanwhile, Germany temporarily suspended the Dublin Regulation concerning the first repatriation of refugees from the Schengen area they arrived in, and reinstated border controls.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on September 23, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said that the EC wants to closely monitor countries that have violated the Schengen Agreement on a borderless Europe.

He emphasized: "The Dublin Regulation needs to be applied correctly by all members. This is a way to restore trust in the Schengen area, while also strengthening the management of the EU's external borders. That is why we made this decision today to ensure that all members are obligated to fully comply with what they have committed to."

Vice President Timmermans said the Commission would take punitive action against any country that violates the rules on the free movement of people and the common asylum policy. He added that Europe will have a border coast guard force by the end of this year and the EC will increase resources for the Frontex border control agency.

Europe is struggling to cope with the biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

According to statistics from the International Organization for Migration, nearly half a million people from countries experiencing civil war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa have migrated to the continent since the beginning of the year, and this number is projected to exceed 1 million by the end of the year.

According to Vov.vn