The head of the European Commission on Wednesday called for a special summit of EU leaders to deal with the refugee emergency amid criticism that the bloc's migrant strategy is unraveling fast.

"I'm rather worried that we won't have enough time to tackle the refugee question in sufficient depth," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters.

He recommended holding a new summit because the next meeting of EU government leaders in February will be too focused on keeping Britain in the European Union.

European Council President Donald Tusk, who chairs EU summits, warned on Wednesday that the EU's passport-free travel area could break apart if the migrant strategy is not sorted out within two months.

Juncker's Commission has floated an action plan of short and long term measures aimed at coping with Europe's biggest refugee emergency in more than half a century. Ideas include the relocation plan distribute refugees among EU nations, which would be strung out over two years, and more than 3 billion dollars over two years plus fast track visa and EU membership process for Turkey in exchange for stopping people leaving for Europe.

The Commission also advocates tougher measures to return people who don't qualify for asylum, and tripling funding for the Frontex border agency.

More than 1 million migrants entered Europe last year fleeing conflict and poverty, overwhelming border authorities and reception centers and raising tensions between EU neighbors as they struggled to respond.

More than 2,000 people are still arriving daily, according to EU figures, and the totals are expected to accelerate as spring arrives.

A spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency, said that around 2,000 migrants continue to cross from Macedonia into Serbia daily, even with temperatures plunging to a low of -19 C (-2 F) Wednesday.

Liene Veide said many arrive without clothing or boots appropriate for winter weather. Some have pneumonia, fever or other illnesses, but she said most refuse hospitalization and press on with their journeys.

Temperatures plunged overnight Wednesday in Romania to the lowest of the year, with -29.5 C (-21 F) recorded in one town in central Romania

Meanwhile Austria's deputy chancellor, Reinhold Mitterlehner, was quoted Wednesday as saying that he his conservative party wants to cap migrant entries to no more than 40,000 per year.

Close to 90,000 refugees applied for asylum last year in Austria.