EU leaders' summit to tackle migration

BRUSSELS, Oct 18 (KUNA) -- Leaders of the 28-member European Union began Thursday their summit with the focus on migration.
Speaking to reporters, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini said she will raise two issues in today's summit.
"One is the external part of our work on migration that is working well, we continue to work in partnership, in particular with the United Nations and the African Union," she said.
"Then, I think the Prime Ministers and the Heads of State will also focus on our partnership with Africa that we have brought to a new level of equal political partnership and this is exactly the quality change we needed with Africa," she added.
Meanwhile, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and IOM, the UN Migration Agency, in a joint statement appealed to EU leaders to urgently take steps to address this year's record rate of drownings on the Mediterranean Sea.
The leaders of the two organizations warn that political discourse concerning refugees and migrants, particularly those arriving by boat, has become dangerously toxic in some countries, even at a time when arrivals to Europe are declining.
They noted that with more than 1,700 lives lost since the start of 2018, the rate at which people are drowning while trying to cross the Mediterranean has risen sharply this year.
Moreover, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, told reporters today that the meeting of EU leaders last night over Brexit "made good progress both on the withdrawal agreement and on future partnership, our future relationship." (end) nk.mb