Top EU court says eastern states broke law by refusing to host refugees

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union’s top court ruled on Thursday that Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic broke EU law by refusing to host their assigned share of refugees to ease the burden on southern peers like Greece following a spike in arrivals from 2015.

The Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union said in its ruling on the divisive matter that has damaged the bloc’s unity in recent years:

“By refusing to comply with the temporary mechanism for the relocation of applicants for international protection, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic have failed to fulfil their obligations under European Union law.”