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Migrant crisis: EU and Turkey delay decision as summit ends Migrant crisis: EU and Turkey outline hopes for agreement
(about 2 hours later)
The EU and Turkey have ended a summit in Brussels and delayed a decision on how to ease the migration crisis. The EU and Turkey say they have agreed the broad principles of a plan to ease the migration crisis at a summit in Brussels, but delayed a final decision.
Leaders have been discussing an offer by Turkey to do more to stop illegal migration in return for more EU aid and accelerated EU membership talks for Turkey. European Council President Donald Tusk said irregular migrants arriving in Greece would be returned to Turkey.
They said they had agreed on the broad principles of a plan but needed more time to work on the details of a deal. For each migrant returned, Turkey wants the EU to accept a Syrian refugee on a one-for-one basis, and offer more funding and progress on EU integration.
Talks will continue ahead of a long-scheduled EU meeting on 17-18 March. Talks will continue ahead of a pre-scheduled EU meeting on 17-18 March.
Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War Two, with most migrants coming via Turkey. Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. Most migrants come via Turkey, which is already sheltering more than 2.7 million refugees from the civil war in neighbouring Syria.
Turkey is currently sheltering more than 2.7 million refugees from the civil war in neighbouring Syria. The EU wants Turkey to take back migrants who do not qualify for asylum and do more to patrol its own waters.
For every migrant sent back, Turkey wants the EU to accept one Syrian refugee from Turkish soil through a resettlement scheme.
The Turkish government is asking for a doubling of EU aid aimed at helping Turkey deal with the crisis, to €6bn ($6.6bn; £4.64bn) as well as a faster path towards EU membership and the speeding up of plans to allow Turks visa-free travel in Europe.
'Breakthrough''Breakthrough'
Speaking at a news conference PM Ahmet Davutoglu insisted the extra funds were needed to help refugees in Turkey, and called on countries to share the burden created by the conflict in Syria. Turkey tabled new proposals ahead of the EU summit on Monday, and there was uncertainty on whether any agreement would be possible.
Meanwhile German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the proposals could be a "breakthrough" if realised, stressing that "irregular migration" needed to be turned into "regular migration". However, European Council President Donald Tusk said leaders had made a "breakthrough", and he was hopeful of concluding a deal next week.
French President Francois Hollande also hailed progress at the talks, indicating that aid to Turkey could be increased. He said the progress sent "a very clear message that the days of irregular migration to Europe are over".
In a statement, EU leaders said they broadly supported a deal that included:
Speaking at a news conference after the summit, Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey had made a "bold decision to accept all irregular illegal migrants... based on the assumption that for every one Syrian readmitted by Turkey from the Greek islands another Syrian will be resettled by Europe."
But he said it was important to see the refugee deal as a package, to include progress on Turkish integration within the EU.
Read more about the migrant crisisRead more about the migrant crisis
After the summit concluded, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel tweeted that summit chairman Donald Tusk would "take forward the proposals and work out the details with the Turkish side before [the 17-18] March" migration summit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the proposals could be a major step forward if realised, stressing that "irregular migration" needed to be turned into "regular migration".
Earlier a spokesman for Hungarian PM Viktor Orban - who has taken a strongly anti-immigrant stance - said he had vetoed the plan to resettle refugees in Europe. French President Francois Hollande also hailed progress at the talks, indicating that aid to Turkey could be increased.
After the summit concluded, Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel tweeted that Mr Tusk would "take forward the proposals and work out the details with the Turkish side before [the 17-18] March" migration summit.
UK PM David Cameron said EU leaders did have "the basis for a breakthrough", which would mean that all migrants arriving in Greece could be returned to Turkey.UK PM David Cameron said EU leaders did have "the basis for a breakthrough", which would mean that all migrants arriving in Greece could be returned to Turkey.
However before the summit, he stressed the UK would not take part in any resettlement scheme, saying: "We have an absolutely rock-solid opt-out from these things."However before the summit, he stressed the UK would not take part in any resettlement scheme, saying: "We have an absolutely rock-solid opt-out from these things."
Earlier Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the EU of failing to deliver on the aid it has already promised. Earlier a spokesman for Hungarian PM Viktor Orban - who has taken a strongly anti-immigrant stance - said he had vetoed the plan to resettle refugees in Europe.
"It's been four months," Mr Erdogan said in Ankara. "My prime minister is currently in Brussels. I hope he will return with the money."
Queues
Last year, more than a million people entered the EU illegally by boat, mainly going from Turkey to Greece.Last year, more than a million people entered the EU illegally by boat, mainly going from Turkey to Greece.
Many migrants leave Greece in an attempt to reach northern Europe, but eight countries have introduced temporary border controls. Some 13,000 migrants are currently stranded in northern Greece, after Macedonia strictly limited the numbers allowed to pass through to all but a trickle.
Some 13,000 migrants are currently stranded in northern Greece, after Macedonia closed its border to all but a trickle.
The future of the Schengen agreement - which allows passport-free travel in a 26-nation zone - is on the agenda, as the leaders are anxious to save a system thought to bring billions of euros to Europe's economy every year.The future of the Schengen agreement - which allows passport-free travel in a 26-nation zone - is on the agenda, as the leaders are anxious to save a system thought to bring billions of euros to Europe's economy every year.
The EU said last October it would relocate 160,000 asylum seekers, mainly from Greece and Italy, but there was strong opposition among some members and fewer than 700 migrants have moved. The EU said last October it would relocate 160,000 asylum seekers, mainly from Greece and Italy, but there was strong opposition among some members. Fewer than 700 migrants have moved.
The union may now overhaul its Dublin Regulation, which requires asylum seekers to lodge claims in their EU country of arrival, and instead adopt a centralised system for processing applications. Meanwhile more than 2,000 migrants, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, continue to arrive daily in Greece from Turkey.
More than 2,000 migrants, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, continue to arrive daily in Greece from Turkey. Nato says it is expanding its naval mission against people-smuggling in the Aegean Sea to cover Turkish and Greek territorial waters.
The Idomeni crossing on the Greece-Macedonia border has become the latest focus of the migrant crisis. EU leaders welcome the move on Monday, and called on Nato members to support the operation actively.
One camp resident, Syrian refugee Narjes al Shalaby, told AP news agency: "All we do here is sleep, wake up, sleep," she said. "We get hungry, we wait in the queue for two hours for a sandwich, we come back, we sleep some more."
Separately, Nato says it is expanding its naval mission against people-smuggling in the Aegean Sea to cover Turkish and Greek territorial waters.