Schengen zone News

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday Turkey had back-up plans if the EU failed to keep its promise over visa-free travel for Turks to the passport-free Schengen zone.

The EU is set to give conditional approval on Wednesday for Turks to gain visa-free access to the Schengen zone, sources told AFP, meeting a key demand by Ankara to keep a migrant crisis deal alive.

Seven migrants drowned trying to reach Greece on Wednesday, as the European Union blasted Athens for its handling of the crisis, saying it had "seriously neglected" its duty to protect the bloc`s borders.

Greece lashed out on Monday at what it called "lies" by its EU partners following calls for Athens to be suspended from the Schengen passport-free zone if it fails to staunch the flow of migrants into Europe.

Greece faced fresh pressure Saturday on its handling of the migrant crisis after Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner warned that Athens faced "temporary exclusion" from the EU`s passport-free Schengen zone.

The EU was set to unveil on Tuesday controversial proposals for a new border and coastguard agency in response to Europe`s migration crisis, with powers to intervene even when the host country does not consent.

EU leaders pledged at least 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) for Syrian refugees in the Middle East and closer cooperation to stem migrant flows into Europe at a summit described as less tense than feared after weeks of feuding.