European Council President Donald Tusk has warned that the bloc's Schengen open borders accord is on the brink of collapse as a result of the migration crisis.

Speaking at the end of an EU-Africa summit in Malta, Tusk said “saving Schengen is a race against time and we are determined to win that race.”

His comments follow moves by Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, and Sweden to reintroduce border controls or erect frontier fences in an attempt to control migrant entries to their territory.

European Union leaders at the summit on November 12 formally launched an emergency trust fund for African with an initial 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) to combat poverty and conflicts that are driving migration to Europe.

Those funds add to about 20 billion euros ($21.4 billion) that already is being donated to African countries each year by the EU and its 28 member states.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa