EU:EU justice ministers plan to introduce a range of measures to harmonise the way member states deal with asylum seekers and illegal immigration.
The ministers backed proposals yesterday to set up rapid intervention teams to help deal with sudden increases in migrants in a particular region and discussed drawing up a list of third countries, from where asylum seekers would not ordinarily be offered refugee status.
These so called "safe lists" would make it very difficult for asylum seekers from one of these countries to receive refugee status.
However, the prospect of all 25 member states agreeing on the membership of a "safe list" is far from certain. A similar proposal made a few years ago by the EU was never agreed by member states.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, who attended the informal EU justice ministers meeting, said that if the safe-list was not mandatory it could be useful. But he said that all asylum seekers would retain the right to appeal the refusal of asylum by a state.
Ministers also discussed a controversial proposal to fund pilot projects in Ukraine, Moldova, Tanzania and Belarus to offer assistance to refugees in those states.
Justice commissioner Franco Frattini insisted that the pilot projects had nothing to do with establishing reception centres or camps in these countries. Rather the EU would offer humanitarian assistance to people in desperate need of assistance.
However, critics counter that the plans are an attempt to stop asylum seekers from entering the EU by keeping them in third countries.
Ministers agreed on a proposal to set up EU rapid intervention teams, which would consist of mobile units of interpreters, case-handlers and psychologists from across the EU. These teams would help national authorities deal with large influxes of immigrants by offering medical assistance and interviewing asylum seekers to ascertain their status.
Mr Frattini said he hoped the teams would be introduced this year. "If possible before the new drowning season in May-June, when the Mediterranean starts being calmer and people leave from Libya and Morocco."
Scores of African immigrants are estimated to die every year when their boats capsize in the Mediterranean sea en route to Spain or Italy.