EU leaders agree to speed up creation of new border force

The European Union is due to fast-track the establishment of an EU border and coastguard force, as the 28-nation bloc is scrambling to curb the influx of refugees into Europe.

EU leaders agreed on the issue during a summit in Brussels on Friday, deciding to come to an agreement by mid-2016 on the details of the new border force, which was proposed by the European Commission earlier this week.

The authorities, meanwhile, underlined the need to implement measures agreed this year to contain the flow of asylum-seekers across the Mediterranean.

At the end of the three-hour meeting, European Council President Donald Tusk, who chaired the summit, said leaders had decided to implement a series of measures to stem chaotic movements through Europe’s Schengen open-borders area.

“Over the past months, the European Council has developed a strategy aimed at stemming the unprecedented migratory flows Europe is facing,” the final agreement said, adding, “However, implementation is insufficient and has to be speeded up.”

The document said it is essential to regain control over the external borders in order to protect the integrity of Schengen.

However, some EU leaders have expressed opposition to a controversial element of the proposal, under which Brussels would be given the power to send in EU border guards without the approval of the host country.

Nearly one million refugees and asylum-seekers have crossed Europe's borders in 2015. The majority have come to Greece on the short sea crossing from Turkey.

European countries reportedly remain divided over how to deal with refugees, most of whom are fleeing conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa.

Leader of several Balkan countries have repeatedly threatened to shut their borders if their northern European Union neighbors refuse to accept refugees.

According to recent figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 933,776 refugees have reached Europe’s shores so far this year, while more than 3,619 people have died in their perilous journey to the continent.

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