The European Union has unveiled a new strategy for dealing with the bloc's migration crisis, which includes controversial national quotas. As part of the plan the EU aims to re-settle 20,000 refugees in Europe over the next two years.
The European Commission has outlined its most comprehensive agenda yet on migration, in response to outrage at home and abroad over the growing Mediterranean death toll.
The Commission wants member states to share the task of processing asylum claims and re-settling those who pass, though under EU law Britain, Ireland and Denmark would be exempt.
Key countries of arrival like Italy, Malta and Greece are struggling to cope, while Germany has received a quarter of a million asylum requests over the past 12 months.
An extra 50 million Euros will also be spent on a scheme to re-settle 20,000 people in the EU over the next two years.
"By the end of this month the commission will propose a temporary relocation mechanism to help alleviate the pressure on frontline countries," said Frans Timmermans, Vice President of European Commission.
So-called 'hot spot teams' will be dispatched to help those 'frontline 'member states fingerprint and process new arrivals.
The EU will also create a pilot-screening program in Niger, deploy migration officials to other countries neighbouring Libya and strengthen cooperation with Mali.
The bloc will continue to seek UN backing for a military operation in the Mediterranean.
"The mandate of this new operation will be to disrupt the business model of the trafficking and smuggling organizations," said Federica Mogherini, EU foreign Policy Chief.
The migration agenda is the new cornerstone of the EU's response to the crisis that has led to the drowning of about 1,700 people over the past few weeks and an estimated 20,000 deaths over the past two decades.
"Our citizens must have confidence that we offer help to those who are persecuted by war, but also that we effectively register and manage those who arrive and return those who do now qualify for asylum," Frans Timmermans said.
Some measures are expected to be approved at a leaders summit late next month. The Commission will also push for an EU Africa summit in Malta later this year.