EU interior ministers are to discuss how to deal with tens of thousands of migrants trying to enter Europe each year by crossing the Mediterranean.
A key issue at the talks in Luxembourg is a plan to distribute asylum seekers more evenly across all 28 EU states.
The crisis has put a huge strain on Italian, Greek and Maltese resources.
But some northern and eastern European nations argue that migrants should not be forced to move to countries where they do not want to settle.
More than 1,800 migrants have died in the Mediterranean so far this year - a 20-fold increase on the same period in 2014. The majority had set sail aboard rickety, overcrowded boats from strife-torn Libya.
In recent weeks, naval vessels have rescued thousands of people at risk of drowning, but plans to resettle illegal migrants across Europe and break up the smuggling networks have yet to be agreed.
Italy's 'Plan B'
Italy and Greece - which have already seen more than 100,000 boat people arrive on their shores this year - insist other EU nations must share some of the burden.
The Italian government says it wants a fair distribution of new arrivals around Europe and more enforced repatriations of those deemed "economic migrants".
EU quota proposals
About 24,000 migrants recently arrived in Italy and 16,000 in Greece to be relocated among other EU members
"Distribution key" criteria to include a country's population, GDP and unemployment, as well as the number of refugees already taken in
France and Germany are expected to received more than 30% of the relocated refugees
Separate proposal to resettle some 20,000 mainly Syrian refugees currently living in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey
A key issue at the talks in Luxembourg is a plan to distribute asylum seekers more evenly across all 28 EU states.
The crisis has put a huge strain on Italian, Greek and Maltese resources.
But some northern and eastern European nations argue that migrants should not be forced to move to countries where they do not want to settle.
More than 1,800 migrants have died in the Mediterranean so far this year - a 20-fold increase on the same period in 2014. The majority had set sail aboard rickety, overcrowded boats from strife-torn Libya.
In recent weeks, naval vessels have rescued thousands of people at risk of drowning, but plans to resettle illegal migrants across Europe and break up the smuggling networks have yet to be agreed.
Italy's 'Plan B'
Italy and Greece - which have already seen more than 100,000 boat people arrive on their shores this year - insist other EU nations must share some of the burden.
The Italian government says it wants a fair distribution of new arrivals around Europe and more enforced repatriations of those deemed "economic migrants".
EU quota proposals
About 24,000 migrants recently arrived in Italy and 16,000 in Greece to be relocated among other EU members
"Distribution key" criteria to include a country's population, GDP and unemployment, as well as the number of refugees already taken in
France and Germany are expected to received more than 30% of the relocated refugees
Separate proposal to resettle some 20,000 mainly Syrian refugees currently living in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey
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