European justice ministers to discuss crisis

The first real test of whether EU governments’ hearts have been softened by the photographs of dead or stressed refugees comes on Monday when justice ministers will discuss what to do next.

They will have the comprehensive set of proposals, aimed at co-operating at an EU level and radically changing who takes the decisions on refugees in what many see as an issue of sovereignty. They will be faced with a system for determining how many asylum seekers each country should take, and be offered an opt-out only in very stressful national circumstances and for which they must offer compensation.

Three EU countries are not part of aspects of the asylum system but while Britain and Denmark will remain outside, the Irish Government is expected to make the decision today at Cabinet to opt in.