EC Urges EU Parliament, Council to Consider Border Guard Proposal Swiftly

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker urged on Wednesday the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to consider the commission's proposal to establish a European Border and Coast Guard without delay.

On Tuesday, the European Commission proposed to establish a European Border and Coast Guard to strengthen EU external borders control, aimed at preventing the uncontrolled flow of migrants into the bloc.

"I am calling on the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to urgently consider this proposal," Juncker said, speaking at a plenary session in Strasbourg.

Juncker said he would call on EU leaders and governments to approve the proposal, when they gathered for the December 17-18 summit in Brussels.

The EU Border Guard is expected to include up to 1,500 people from EU countries, capable of being deployed to a migrant crisis hotspot within two or three days. The new body will also have the duty of sending illegal migrants back to their home countries.

The European Union is currently struggling to manage a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

Over 1.2 million illegal border crossings have been detected by the EU border agency Frontex since the beginning of 2015.