Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Europe is right to shut its borders to refugees and migrants trying to enter the EU in the wake of the Arab Spring, says William Hague, the Foreign Secretary.
European governments must be "tough", Mr Hague said, adding: "We need proper controls. We can't just accept a flow of hundreds of thousands or millions of people into southern Europe and then coming beyond that.
"Clearly, European nations are not able to accommodate those numbers, and so we do have to respond imaginatively for the future, for the economic wellbeing of North Africa so that people can have livelihoods where they are."
Italy, in particular, has seen a flood of people fleeing unrest in Libya, Tunisia and elsewhere, but other countries in the passport-free Schengen zone – in which there is free movement across borders for people and goods – fear that once the migrants are on European soil they may move elsewhere.
Britain is not a member of the 25-country agreement, but last week the Home Secretary, Theresa May, resisted calls from Italy, which has borne the brunt of thousands of refugees crossing the Mediterranean, for other EU countries to "share the burden" of accommodating the new arrivals.
Britain and France have been criticised for intervening in Libya but refusing to take refugees from the conflict there.
Denmark, one of the Schengen states, announced earlier this month that it plans to re-impose controls on its frontiers with Germany and Sweden within weeks.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments