Brussels, 13/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - European Immigration Commissioner Jacques Barrot said on Sunday 12 July that he would very shortly suggest to Libya that it open reception offices for people seeking political asylum. The commissioner intends to travel to Libya in September, accompanied by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres for meetings with the country's authorities, he said on radio station EUROPE 1. “I will offer financial aid to help the Libyans monitor their borders. But I will be firm and tell Libya that it has to help us find the traffickers,” he said. Returning migrants picked up in international waters to Libya, as Italy is doing, was “not the answer”, Barrot said. “Rescuers, including Frontex, can save but cannot refuse entry,” he stated, noting that his staff had asked Italy for explanations and for a number of commitments. “I have to go (to Libya) with the UNHCR to make sure that things are in place for asylum seekers. We are not looking to set up detention camps, but we want to open reception points for asylum seekers,” he said. He also criticised European countries which are not taking sufficient action to check the tide of migration, which, after the current economic crisis, may very well be the next major crisis. “European diplomacy is still much too slow in putting in place a concerted migration policy,” he regretted. The commissioner may be taking a firmer line with Libya, but he also called for more from Turkey. “It is unacceptable that Turkey, which was able to put a halt to illegal migration during the Olympic Games, should be allowing all these little boats to leave from its shores to sail to Greece”. The influx of immigrants has major consequences for Greece which is “submerged” with asylum requests and, therefore, conducting asylum cases very badly, Barrot regretted. “We have to get to a point where asylum requests can be heard in other member states, where the asylum seekers have family,” he said, alluding to a proposed amendment to the Dublin regulation. However, “this will be difficult,” he acknowledged, indicating that some member states would do all they could to slow and halt the reform. Apart from the amendment of the Dublin regulation, the commissioner has already made proposals on improving the reception of asylum seekers and setting up a European asylum support office. In September, he will present a proposal on harmonising procedures for hearing asylum requests throughout the EU. (B.C./transl.rt)