14 asylum seekers drown after boat sinks off Turkey

Tons of of migrants have been found aboard a luxurious yacht after paying as much as $2,500 each one for the voyage to Europe.

However, so far little more than 100 asylum seekers out of an agreed 39,600 have been successfully relocated from Italy to other European Union countries – and about 30 out of 66,400 from Greece.

On Wednesday, a Dogan news agency reported that at least fourteen people died and a further 27 were rescued by Turkish authorities after their boat sank on its way to the Greek island of Lesbos. The flash point of the crisis is Greece, where more than 540,000 people – many fleeing the war in Syria – have landed through October, with 150,000 arriving last month alone.

European leaders have created a multibillion dollar fund to gain Africa’s collaboration in the refugee crisis. Most then head to Germany or Sweden.

Bodies and migrants have been rescued from the sea as thousands continue to move from the Middle East toward Europe.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive, proposed a plan to give direct grants to Turkey for receiving and hosting refugees.

Coastguard workers backed by helicopters were continuing a search for those unaccounted for, without specifying how many might be missing, said Erdogan.

He also accused German politicians of making “irresponsible statements” which a few migrants had interpreted as an invitation to come to Europe.

Meanwhile, Slovenia has started erecting a razor-wire fence on parts of its 400-mile border with Croatia.

Croatia criticised the Slovenian fence, saying it would be better to spend money on preparing reception centres for migrants.