Ministers to address migrant quota row ahead of EU leaders’ meeting

PanARMENIAN.Net - EU ministers are to meet and try to resolve a dispute over how to relocate 120,000 asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Europe, BBC News reports.

A group of central European states is resisting calls for EU members to accept mandatory quotas.

Hungary, which takes one of the strongest lines on the issue, has said European borders are under threat.

Home affairs ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, September 22, will be hoping to forge a consensus ahead of an emergency meeting of EU leaders on Wednesday.

After talks on Monday between Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, all of whom oppose quotas, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek insisted the four were still "absolutely dedicated" to finding a solution.

If disagreements persist, ministers could force a deal through by a majority vote, rather than a unanimous decision.

Enough countries are in favour of the proposal to form a majority - but huge efforts are still being made to find a compromise.

The leaders can only take decisions on a unanimous basis, and they are keen to focus on longer term issues like border security and extra help for countries in the Middle East that have borne the brunt of the Syrian refugee crisis.