New migrant tragedy at sea changes little as EU leaders forge ahead with tougher borders plans

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders will push ahead this week with plans to beef up the bloc’s borders and outsource their migrant challenges to countries people leave or cross to get to Europe. Austria, Hungary, Poland and others are blocking any meaningful attempt to equitably share out refugees arriving in Greece, Italy, Malta or Spain. That means the work must focus on preventing migrants from entering and deporting those who can’t stay more efficiently. But the EU summit on Thursday and Friday has the potential to open a can of political worms. Such is the sensitive nature of asylum rules in Europe. The EU has teetered from political crisis to crisis since well over 1 million people entered Europe in 2015.