EU leaders to push refugee distribution plan

Eleven EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday to debate a German proposal to admit more refugees from Turkey in a bid for Ankara's increased cooperation to curb the flow of migrants to Europe, European sources said.
Just before a full summit of 28 European leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Austrian counterpart Werner Faymann will host talks Thursday with nine EU leaders and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the Austrian mission in Brussels.
The talks, which include European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, will focus on "resettlement" of refugees based in Turkey who have fled the Syrian civil war, a Juncker spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said.

"It is about putting into operation a volontary humanitarian admission scheme so that we provide a legal pathway for refugees to Europe and that we share responsiblity with Turkey as a strategic partner in managing the refugee crisis," Andreeva said.
In the face of anti-migrant opposition from eastern European countries, Merkel said Friday there was "a group of countries" that may voluntarily accept more refugees in exchange for redoubled efforts from Turkey to tackle illegal immigration.
Merkel said a group of countries that the German media have dubbed the "coalition of the willing" could help Turkey's refugee effort beyond the three billion euros (USD 3.3 billion) already committed by the EU. She did not name the countries.

Turkey, which is hosting over 2.7 million mostly Syrian refugees, has voiced deep frustration with the EU as a fresh wave of Syrian refugees mass on its border.

In December, Germany held talks with a several possible members of the coalition, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Since then, Austria has announced it would cap at 37,500 people the number of asylum seekers it admits in 2016, nearly three times fewer than last year.
The Greek minister for European affairs, Nikos Xydakis, told AFP the 11 leaders will also take stock of the slow pace in efforts to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers from overstretched Italy and Greece to other member states.

European Council President Donald Tusk and Juncker will tomorrow evening host a working dinner with the prime ministers of Croatia and Slovenia as well as their counterparts from non-EU Serbia and Macedonia.