EU moves to bolster overwhelmed borders, rethink asylum laws

Faced with a refugee emergency that is only likely to deepen, European Union leaders moved on Thursday to shore up the bloc’s borders to the outside world and fundamentally reshape the way they deal with asylum seekers. The leaders also agreed an action plan  for Turkey to help stem the flood of refugees in return for concessions from Brussels, including easier visa access.

Support for Europe’s frontline countries, with respect and solidarity to the refugees, is for our common European interest.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras

As leaders gathered for the summit in Brussels, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that Europe could not tackle the problem without the help of Turkey, which is hosting more than two million Syrian refugees. But as the leaders met, senior EU officials lashed out at the leaders for failing to live up to past promises of funds and resources to help tackle the crisis.

The member states have got to do what they promised to do.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker