Austria sets asylum limit

Austria yesterday announced a daily limit for the number of asylum requests as eastern EU members set a mid-March deadline for a German-backed plan on Turkey sealing its borders to migrants to bear fruit.

On the eve of an EU summit, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel meanwhile urged a "common stance" in the 28-nation bloc, saying that the Turkey plan "offers a good solution".

The Austrian government announced a daily cap of 80 asylum claims and said it would grant entry to a daily total of 3,200 migrants seeking asylum in a neighbouring country, effective Friday.