Brussels, 05/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - EU home affairs ministers held a discussion on Friday 5 December on migration flows in the Mediterranean and were briefed by the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) on work by the Mediterranean task force, set up after the loss of life off Lampedusa in October 2013 and on the October 2014 ministerial conclusions on immigration management.
A number of particularly delicate issues were broached during the discussion, including a possible European programme to settle Syrian refugees in the EU, a source has revealed, in line with the proposal Austria would like to push. The Commission suggested setting up a new pilot project, based on a sharing of refugees among member states. This would not seem to have gone down very well, most delegations preferring that acceptance of refugees be voluntary. Ministers were also informed of the initial stages of the Triton operation and the gradual winding up of the Mare Nostrum operation. (SP)