Britain and France Monday joined Germany in pledging to accept tens of
thousands of refugees as Europe's record influx of people fleeing war
and misery sparked warnings that one Greek migrant chokepoint was "on
the verge of explosion".
Read more: Britain, France join Germany in showing solidarity with migrants - Yahoo News
European leaders are scrambling
for solutions as bloody conflicts in Syria, Iraq and beyond send
hundreds of thousands of desperate people on dangerous voyages through
the Balkans and across the Mediterranean to the 28-nation EU.
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country is Europe's top refugee
destination, hailed the warm welcome her citizens gave to 20,000
asylum-seekers who streamed across its southern borders on weekend
trains, and pledged billions more in money to house them.
Signalling
that the huge wave of arrivals marked a milestone for Europe's biggest
economy, she said that "what we are experiencing now is something that
will ... change our country in coming years".
"We want the change to be positive, and we believe we can accomplish that," she said.
As
EU leaders stepped up efforts to tackle the historic crisis, France
said it would take 24,000 more asylum-seekers under a European plan to
relocate 120,000 refugees from hard-hit frontline countries.
British
Prime Minister David Cameron said his country would also do more,
taking in 20,000 Syrian refugees from overflowing camps near the
war-torn country's borders over the next five years.
Across the Atlantic, Canada's Quebec province pledged to welcome 3,650 Syrian refugees this year.
Read more: Britain, France join Germany in showing solidarity with migrants - Yahoo News