New EU migration deal: border controls, asylum policy and mandatory solidarity

The European Union agreed on Wednesday on new rules to handle irregular arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants, a deal hailed as a breakthrough after almost a decade of bitter feuds on the issue. "The content of this compromise today paves the way for the reinforcement of the controls at the borders", FRANCE 24's Pierre Benazet said, adding that this means even families with children could be held in closed centres before their asylum requests were processed. The deal would also set in place a uniform asylum procedure within the EU with all 27 member states participating in the accommodation or financing of migrants, Benazet said.