Dutch PM: EU needs to sharply reduce refugee numbers

The number of refugees coming to Europe must be vastly reduced in the coming weeks, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said on Wednesday (20 January), as he outlined the priorities for the Dutch presidency of the EU for the next six months.

“We are running out of time. We need a sharp reduction in the coming six to eight weeks,” Rutte warned.

He told MEPs that tackling the migration crisis would be top of his agenda, and urged states to implement agreements which have already been m...