EU, Ankara agree deal to return migrants sailing to Greece back to Turkey

“The deal with Turkey [is] approved,” Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka wrote on Twitter in the final hours of the two-day summit.

“All illegal migrants who reach Greece from Turkey starting March 20 will be returned,” he added.

@CZSecStateEU The deal w/ Turkey approved by #EUCO Sunday is the cutoff day.

This was confirmed by Finland's Prime Minister Juha Sipila, also in a Twitter message.

"The Turkey deal was approved," Sipila said.

READ MORE: EU, Turkey reach deal on migrant crisis, implementation set for Sunday

The European Union and Turkey agreed to open negotiations on the accession of Ankara to the EU, according to Sipila.

"By the end of June, the 33rd chapter on the budget is to be also opened," he added.

The agreement still needs to be officially signed off with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who represented Ankara in Brussels.

Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War II, with over a million migrants from the Middle East arriving in the continent via Turkey last year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The fate of almost three million Syrian refugees, who remain in Turkey, was the prime concern of both sides ahead of the Brussels talks.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW