#EuropeanCouncil: Summit on migrant crisis starts with rift over Balkan Route

The EU has begun a crucial summit on the migrant crisis, but a rift has already emerged on the closure of the main route through the Balkans.

A draft communique had revealed the EU was about to declare the route as closed, but the German government rejected this as a purely speculative idea.

The EU will press Turkey, also attending the meeting, to take back migrants in return for 3€ billion in aid. Last year, more than a million people entered the EU illegally by boat, mainly going from Turkey to Greece.

Many migrants leave Greece in a bid to reach northern Europe, but eight countries have introduced temporary border controls.

Some 13,000 migrants are currently blocked in northern Greece, after Macedonia, backed by Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia, closed its border, allowing only a small amount of migrants every day.

The summit is organized in two parts: the first one involves Turkey, while the second part is open only yo EU leaders.

Upon arrival at the summit, Angela Merkel spoke about the Balkan route, stating that "Every country, including Greece must understand that this can't be about closing something", a direct reference to the speculation over the possible closure of the so-called Balkan route.

The EU-Turkey deal will mean that Turkey will take back thousands of migrants who do not qualify for asylum. In return the EU will discuss plans to resettle in Europe some refugees already in Turkey.

The agreement has been under discussion for some time now, but earlier on 7 March, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu asked more monetary aid and a new discussion about Turkey admission in the EU.

The EU may also discuss about revising the Dublin Regulation on asylum-seekers, and instead adopt a centralised system for processing applications.

However, is unlikely that a new system will be adopted easily. Upon arrival to the summit, British Prime Minister David Cameron promptly said that there is "no prospect of Britain joining a common asylum process in Europe".

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