EU reached agreement on new border force to tackle migrant crisis

The European Union on 22 June 2016 reached agreement to set up a new Border and Coastguard Force to curb the influx of migrants.

To tackle the crisis from which the EU is suffering from, the force have the right to intervene in front-line countries like Greece and Italy.

The agreed subject that was endorsed by the negotiators for the 28 EU member states and the European Parliament was a proposal from the European Commission, the bloc's executive. It wanted to set up the force by the summer.

The parliament is expected to vote on the issue in a key committee in fourth week of June 2016.

Making of the force will represent an expansion of the size and tasks of the existing Frontex border agency, based in Warsaw.

Background

In December 2016, EU leaders set a 30 June 2016 as a deadline for agreement on the new force, for tackling the flow of the migrants.

Several countries have reintroduced border controls that were eliminated years ago as part of Schengen as the EU deals with a record flow of more than one million migrants and refugees since the start of 2015.

Under the deal member states would still manage their borders on a daily basis but could call on emergency support from a pool of at least 1500 border guards.

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