Brussels seeks joint approach on asylum

European Union justice and interior ministers will debate one of the most ambitious set of plans put to them today, including the creation of an EU asylum office, joint processing of refugee claims and establishment of an EU border guard.

European Union justice and interior ministers will debate one of the most ambitious set of plans put to them today, including the creation of an EU asylum office, joint processing of refugee claims and establishment of an EU border guard.

The ministers, who meet in Luxembourg to consider a five-year strategy programme, will also discuss co-ordinating policies on economic immigrants. The talks will cover moves to scrap the veto on immigration and asylum policy, a proposal to set up a European public prosecutor to combat fraud, and ideas for EU asylum-processing camps in north Africa.

Though the ideas will alarm Eurosceptics, the UK can afford to be relaxed about most of the programme, which is being assembled by the Dutch presidency of the EU for outline approval. Britain, Ireland and Denmark have opt-outs in most areas and the UK can remain outside most policies it dislikes.

But diplomats expect the justice and home affairs portfolio to be the biggest growth area of policy in the next few years because of the sensitivity of immigration and terrorism.

Antonio Vitorino, outgoing European commissioner for justice and home affairs, told The Independent, that, with an ageing population in Europe, illegal immigration and potential labour shortages, "we must have a system of co-ordination of economic immigration".

He said governments should retain the prerogative "to define the number and the profile of the economic immigrants admitted". Mr Vitorino cited the example of countries that, periodically, offer to regularise illegal immigrants, as Belgium has done. He said: "When there is an amnesty in one country it has immediate consequences for the situation of all immigrants in all member states, most of all for those in countries where there are no border controls [because of the Schengen free-travel zone]."

Also to be debated are proposals for an EU asylum office and joint processing of asylum claims, made inside or outside the EU. Yesterday a Home Office spokeswoman said the British government would oppose the creation of a common asylum system. She said: "The Home Secretary this morning telephoned the Dutch Interior Minister to make it clear that we won't sign up to an EU processing centre, any common border guard that would involve taking away our own border controls or any new EU consular service."

But the UK does back proposals to move to qualified majority voting on asylum and immigration issues. Under article 67 of the EU's governing treaty, the governments can agree to this and Britain knows that, it could opt out of any decision. The debate over ideas championed by Germany and Italy on EU asylum camps in north Africa is to continue. But Britain has cooled on the plan, instead focusing energies on trying to help countries producing the migrants to control their numbers. Camps are backed by Mr Vitorino's replacement, Rocco Buttiglione.