EU to send more border guards to Western Balkans - draft leaders statement

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is set to deploy more than 400 border guards within a week to help tackle a migrant crisis in the western Balkans, according to an draft statement to be considered later on Sunday by leaders from central and eastern Europe. The draft statement seen by Reuters also states that the European Union will try to speed up repatriations of Afghans, Iraqis and other Asian nations if asylum claims are rejected. "We commit to immediately increase our efforts to manage our borders," the drat said, also detailing how maritime efforts off Greece would be intensified. (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski and Robin Emmott; Editing by Andrew Heavens)