EU approves migration action plan for Turkey

Nearly 600,000 refugees have reached the EU by sea so far this year, many of them travelling from Turkey to Greece before seeking to head north.

16 October 2015, 8:37am

1 min read

EU states have approved an action plan for Turkey, which it is hoped will ease the flow of refugees to Europe.

Nearly 600,000 refugees have reached the EU by sea so far this year, many of them travelling from Turkey to Greece before seeking to head north.

Turkey made a number of demands in exchange for helping to stem the flow.

In a press conference in Brussels, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said he felt "cautious optimism" over the deal.

Reports in Bulgaria said that an Afghan man was shot dead while trying to enter Bulgaria from Turkey late on Thursday. He was part of a "large group" of people trying to enter Bulgaria, AFP reported, quoting the interior ministry.

At the Brussels summit, European officials agreed to "re-energised" talks over Turkey joining the EU and accelerating visa liberalisation for Turks wanting to visit the EU's borderless Schengen area - if Turkey complies with certain criteria.