EU leaders to focus on protecting external borders

EU leaders will again focus on migration at their last summit this year, starting Thursday (17 December). They will concentrate efforts on salvaging the passport-free Schengen zone, after 1 million people seeking refuge made it to the bloc so far this year.

The year has seen divisions deepen between frontline states in the south struggling to protect external borders and destination countries in the north that want to stop the flow, an initially more welcoming western Europe and more c...