The EU leaders agreed upon several measures that were aimed at sharing responsibility. Some of those include financial support for countries right at the coal-face of the crisis, such as Turkey and those in North Africa. WANG TONGXUAN has the details.

About 56,000 migrants have arrived in Europe this year, compared to more than a million in 2015. Illegal border crossings have been reduced by about 95%, primarily because of more effective controls on the EU's external borders. The EU has promised to stand by Italy and other frontline member states and to stop smugglers operating out of Libya or elsewhere, tightening their control on the central Mediterranean route.

Further east, and additional efforts are being made fully implement the EU-Turkey Statement, while on the western front, because the migrant flow has increased recently, the EU agreed to provide more funding for Turkey and countries in North Africa.

The EU leaders will also explore the possibility of setting up a mechanism to process migrants outside the EU, to thwart people-smuggling gangs. And for those who have already arrived, controlled centers will be set-up by EU states on a voluntary basis.

Meanwhile, the European Council has agreed to bump up funding for Turkey's millions of registered refugees thought its special facility program, and, at the same time, provide half a billion euro for the EU Trust Fund for Africa, which addresses the root causes of irregular migration on the continent. The council has also asked all member states for cooperation, and to speed up the reform of the Common European Asylum System. WTX.CGTN.