Brussels to propose mandatory refugee quotas for EU states

Brussels is planning to introduce mandatory national quotas for refugees in a radical overhaul of the EU's immigration rules which is likely to split member states.

The European Commission will present proposals on Wednesday for sharing out refugees more equally between EU members, as southern states prepare for a fresh influx from north Africa and the Middle East this summer.

At the moment refugees must claim asylum in the first EU country they reach, placing great pressure on states on the bloc's southern flank, such as Spain, Greece and Italy. However, these rules are not always enforced by southern countries, causing resentment among other governments within the EU.

The plans, which have not yet been formally approved by the full commission, are likely to prove highly controversial in several member states where anti-immigration sentiment is fuelling the rise of populist political parties.

Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, told the European parliament last month: "We cannot leave it solely to the member states directly concerned to manage the relocation of refugees."

The distribution of asylum seekers within the EU is highly uneven. Germany, for instance, received approximately one-third of the 626,000 asylum applications made within the EU in 2014 - more than any other state. Sweden took in more than 80,000, the second highest number.

Asylum seekers will be shared according to a "distribution key". It is unclear how it will be calculated but it is unlikely that Germany and Sweden, for example, will be expected to take many more, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The plans are likely to provide an early test of relations between Brussels and Britain's newly elected Conservative government. The UK can opt out of such home affairs policies, but officials fear that leaving other EU countries to to adopt a quota system would appear heartless.

Such a system is likely to face its strongest opposition in eastern states of the EU, which take very few asylum seekers.

The commission will also propose a separate mandatory scheme to resettle up to 20,000 refugees living in countries outside the EU. The number of refugees each EU state would be obliged to accept would depend on factors such as its economic growth, unemployment rate and population.

Last month, national leaders rejected less ambitious proposals, supported by Germany, at a summit that was hastily convened after 1,000 migrants died in the Mediterranean in the space of a week.

As well as the refugee plan, the EU is continuing preparations for a possible military mission against people traffickers in the Mediterranean. Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, is to brief the UN Security Council on Monday on the potential for a UN mandate for the mission.

Original EU plans to destroy boats and facilities in Libyan ports have been scaled back because of Russian resistance and practical constraints. Instead, the EU is aiming for a military mission to stop, arrest and if necessary use force against traffickers at sea, whether in Libyan or in international waters. Up to 10 EU countries have said they would consider taking part in such a mission.

Russia objected to any UN mandate to hit targets on Libyan territory, but it is more open to arrest and capture operations at sea based on past anti-piracy missions. Ms Mogherini's team are hopeful of winning Russian support. Moscow says the EU will also need a permission from a Libyan authority, something the EU is reluctant to seek for fear of taking sides in Libya's civil war.

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