European Union expresses concern over potential Egyptian refugees

European Union countries expressed concern, at a Brussels meeting, a potential economic collapse in Egypt could prompt a new surge of immigration to Europe. Diplomats of the EU's Political and Security Committee discussed the scenario earlier this week, EUobserver said Friday. "It's a country of almost 90 million on the EU's southern fringe. If things keep getting worse, where do you think that they will go? It will be places like Italy or Greece," an unnamed diplomat said. The European Union remains uncertain if it will keep sending financial aid to Egypt, although the United States suspended some of its $1.3 billion military aid program to Egypt in light of the military's violent crackdown on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood. At the committee meeting, Greece suggested the EU could send a mission to Egypt to train police in riot control, but the idea was rejected for its potential to appear the EU would be seen as aiding the crackdown, the newspaper said.