Berlin threatens: Those who oppose refugee quotas to receive less money from EU funds

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière on Tuesday, after a failed meeting on the distribution of refugees among European Union member states, mentioned the possibility that member states refusing to accept mandatory refugee quotas could receive less money from EU structural funds, reports the Patria news agency.

"We must talk about ways to exert pressure," de Maizière told Germany's ZDF.

Countries that refuse distribution according to quotas "are often countries that receive a lot of European structural funds," he said, expressing regret over the "lack of solidarity."

"I think it is fair... that they also receive less financial resources" from Europe, de Maizière said, adding that he approves of a similar proposal made by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

On Monday evening, interior ministers of the 28 EU member states at an emergency meeting in Brussels failed to agree on mandatory quotas for the distribution of 120,000 refugees.

Countries of the Visegrad Group - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, as well as Romania, Latvia and Great Britain, were against the quotas, Index reports. 

After the meeting, it was announced that there is a general agreement on the distribution of 120,000 migrants, and the implementation of this agreement will be discussed at a meeting of interior ministers on October 8 in Luxembourg.