EU looks to tighten borders to keep unwanted migrants away

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ireland's Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban attend European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders said on Thursday they would tighten their borders to keep away unwanted immigrants, with some seeking more fences and walls while others would rather spend the money on improving living conditions in worse-off parts of the world.

Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Denmark were among the 27 national leaders meeting in EU hub Brussels to express concern about increasing irregular arrivals, with some 330,000 border crossings recorded last year.