The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, has warned that any EU plan to set up transit camps for asylum-seekers in North Africa must conform to international law.
Justice and home affairs ministers meeting in Holland today will consider a German proposal to establish camps in countries such as Libya and Tunisia. For his part, Mr McDowell said that he would proceed slowly and cautiously.
"I want to see how it would work out and to hear from others how it would conform to international standards, particularly the Geneva Convention, and the EU must take into account the views of the UN," he said.
The plight of asylum-seekers and other immigrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe was highlighted yesterday when up to 500 people landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Germany's Interior Minister, Mr Otto Schily, yesterday said he wanted to prevent people from risking their lives attempting to enter Europe.
"We can either wait until this problem reaches us in Europe or we can actively confront the problems where they arise. I favour the second option," he said.
Mr Schily said while the number of asylum-seekers had fallen in many EU countries, illegal immigration remained a serious problem.
"This means more criminality, more illegal jobs, more drug trafficking and so on," he said.
While many ministers expressed scepticism towards Mr Schily's ideas, Mr McDowell said he would reserve judgment until he heard all the details.
At a separate meeting with US Attorney General Mr John Ashcroft, EU ministers agreed to improve transatlantic intelligence sharing, with FBI agents to spend time with Europol which in turn will post agents to Washington.
As he defended Washington's decision to fingerprint and photograph visitors from most EU countries, including Ireland, Mr Ashcroft said that the intention was not to deter visitors.
"The United States cares very deeply about the way it is viewed by the people of Europe," he said.