EU leaders look to strengthen sea patrols

EU leaders have concentrated on how to patrol the EU’s borders to dissuade smugglers from putting migrants on boats in the knowledge the patrols would have to pick up anybody found in trouble.

However, the search for solidarity among EU member states and the hope that they would agree to share the burden of the thousands of migrants that arrive in the front line countries has largely failed.

A pilot project being pushed by the European Commission where countries would agree to take a share of the asylum seekers that arrive mainly in Italy, Greece and Malta got a cool reception.