EU warns Austria that plan to cap asylum seekers is unlawful

“After 100,000 refugees we can’t tell the Austrian people that it will just continue like this”, he added.

Austria has surprised its partners by putting a cap on the number of asylum-seekers it will let in, a move the EU’s Executive Commission maintains breaks European and global law.

“Legal opinions will be answered by lawyers”. “It’s unimaginable Austria would accept all refugees”.

European Council President Donald Tusk says much remains to be discussed among EU leaders on Britain’s renegotiation of its membership in the EU.

The Schengen area is a central pillar of the European Union, allowing for the establishment of a borderless Europe, where 26 countries have abolished passport and other border controls.

 There are concerns that tighter controls on Austria’s southern border could lead to a huge backlog of refugees and migrants in the Balkans.

Brussels on Thursday slammed the “unilateral actions” as “incompatible with European Union law”. “We don’t believe the boat is full”.

Mikl-Leitner – who says that Germany has for months had daily quotas of its own, which Germany has never confirmed – brushed the criticism aside. It said it would press ahead despite claims the move was illegal.

“Those fleeing violence and persecution should seek global protection after crossing into the first safe country in their path of flight”, Mikl-Leitner said, adding that Austria is not that country.

Austria recently said on the eve of the EU Summit that it would be enforcing a daily cap on the number of claims from people seeking refuge.

Police said though that they expected around 400 people to cross the Spielfeld border point from Slovenia on Saturday.

One EU diplomat said the influx of migrants must be stemmed by a mid-March EU summit on migration. Four of the five so-called migrant hotspots the country had pledged to build are now operating, while on Kos strong reactions by local residents _ who repeatedly tried to stop the work, clashing with riot police _ have delayed the project. “We need to do everything to implement the agreement with Turkey”.

Migrant children play in a camp after crossing the Macedonian-Greek border, near Gevgelija, yesterday. But even with the latest cap, Mikl-Leitner believes the country could still exceed that limit.

Slightly more than one in two think Germany can not cope with the numbers of migrants arriving. “We are at our very limit and now it’s time for other countries to step up and take responsibility”.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, under intense pressure at home, meanwhile urged a “common stance” in the 28-nation bloc, arguing that the Turkey plan “offers a good solution”.

No decisions were made at the summit in Brussels, especially after terror attacks struck Turkey, the key transit land for Middle Eastern refugees, and forced Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to cancel his trip.

Instead EU leaders, spearheaded by Germany, hope to firm up a deal with Ankara at a special summit in March.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the room was divided “between those we believe we can find solutions together and those who prefer to act alone”. “This is a decision for Austria to make”.