EU countries agree on plan for stricter asylum reforms
EU nations have reached an agreement that would see countries either accept a share of asylum-seekers or pay into a fund managed by Brussels to care for migrants. Germany voiced concerns about protections for children, DW reports.
The European Union's 27 member states have agreed on an initial plan to enact tougher asylum and migration policies across the bloc, officials announced on Thursday.
Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said the deal is a "good balance" of responsibility towards those seeking asylum and solidarity in the EU.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the agreement a "historic success" for the EU.
The agreement was reached hours after tense negotiations, as some EU members like Italy, Austria and the Netherlands, said the compromise proposal was not good enough. Poland and Hungary voted against the proposals, while Bulgaria, Malta, Lithuania and Slovakia abstained.
