Breaking: EU reaches breakthrough deal on migrants after overnight talks
(Baonghean.vn) - European leaders have avoided a scenario where the EU's vital summit collapsed under the threat of being derailed by the migration situation, an issue that has divided the continent as thousands of desperate migrants have poured in on makeshift boats.
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| A child is taken off a ship carrying 234 migrants after it docked in Malta on June 27. Photo: AP |
At around 5 a.m. on June 29, Brussels time, European Council President Donald Tusk posted on Twitter that leaders had agreed on a joint statement from the EU28 summit, including a solution to the migration issue.
AP also reported that EU leaders reached a breakthrough agreement on how to deal with the migration issue after all-night talks aimed at overcoming Italy's demands for more aid.
Details of the deal have not been released, but EU diplomats said leaders had finally agreed on a vaguely worded concept that would focus on reception centers to handle the influx of migrants and asylum seekers in EU countries that volunteer to take them.
Meanwhile, according to CNN, Prime Minister Theresa May said after the meeting: "We have had long discussions on the important topic of migration and have come to a positive conclusion."
The leader said action would be taken in "origin countries so that we can ensure that people do not undertake these dangerous journeys that often cover many miles and often end up in the hands of these traffickers".
EU leaders met in Brussels on 28-29 June for a European Council summit that was supposed to focus on Brexit, but little progress was made on that front. And amid disagreements over the fate of migrants rescued at sea, the issue came to the fore. |
| Italians protest with banners reading "against fascism, racism and sexism". Photo: Getty |
A diplomatic source also said on June 28 that Italy planned to block a joint statement on a series of key regional issues until other countries committed to taking in more migrants.
A statement issued by the European Union later that day confirmed Italy's position: "As a member has reserved its position on the overall conclusions, no consensus has been reached at this point."