EU warns Austria that plan to cap number applying for asylum is unlawful

The EU has warned Austria its plan to cap the number of people who can apply for asylum is unlawful, but Austrian chancellor Werner Faymann has refused to back down.

As EU leaders sought to end their fragmented response to Europe’s biggest refugee emergency since the Second World War at a summit meeting, the legal fight with EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos took centre stage.

“Legal opinions will be answered by lawyers. Politically I say: we’ll stick to it,” Mr Faymann said as he entered the summit meeting.