Un Spokesman Urges Europe To Bear Burden Of Migrant Crisis

Syria's neighbors have done all they can to help Syrian migrants, and now it is time for Europe to start to share the burden, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.



The number of migrants fleeing the civil war in Syria to neighboring countries has passed 4 million, U.N. refugee agency figures show.



"The countries that border Syria have carried much more than their responsibilities, above and beyond. The work they have done is really tremendous. And they are saving lives by doing what they do," Dujarric told Anadolu Agency.



"I'm not sure if the world recognizes that as much," he added.



The U.N. says 95 percent of the latest million Syrian refugees have gone to Turkey, which has become the world's largest refugee hosting country. It is hosting more than 1.9 million registered Syrian refugees.



European countries are facing widespread criticism for their handling of illegal migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in a desperate attempt to get to Europe. Approximately 2,500 of them have died or gone missing trying to reach the continent this year alone.



"We all have collective responsibilities towards refugees," Dujarric said.



"We are seeing that in Europe, not every country we think is really stepping up to the plate in ensuring that they are doing what they should be doing to uphold the rights of refugees," he said.



Twelve migrants, including 8 children drowned Wednesday after the boat they were traveling in sank en route to a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Their bodies washed up on the shores of Turkey's tourist destination of Bodrum.



The victims included 2-year-old Syrian Aylan Kurdi. Pictures of his body have gone viral on social media, causing international outrage and frustration at the international community's failure to help desperate families in Syria, where a civil war has claimed more than 250,000 lives since 2011. - New York