Franco-Spanish alliance vetoes asylum camps

French and Spanish interior ministers today shot down a German proposal to set up transit camps in North Africa that would process asylum seekers before they reach Europe.

The issue was at the centre of two days of talks in Florence.

French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin said that “for France, it’s out of the question to accept transit camps or shelters of any kind".

Spanish Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso also expressed opposition, saying the camps would not give humanitarian guarantees.

The proposal for transit camps was launched by German Interior Minister Otto Schily and has been backed by Italy. The idea has met with a mixed reaction, both at the European level and at home, with some fearing such centres might not give migrants a fair chance to apply for asylum. France and Spain have expressed reservations before.

Schily defended his idea, saying the camps could offer protection to those seeking to enter Europe across the Mediterranean.

The migrants “would not then have first to set out on the life-endangering trip across the Mediterranean, but would have the possibility of making such an application outside the borders of the European Union,” Schily said.

Every year, tens of thousands of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and beyond make dangerous trips across the Mediterranean – many in rickety boats or rubber dinghies – hoping to build new lives in Europe. Many boats have overturned or sunk before reaching Europe’s shores.

The issue is difficult for Italy, as many boats aim for the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, which is closer to Africa than to the Italian mainland. Italy has been criticised for a new policy of quickly repatriating migrants who arrive from Libya – a tactic human rights groups say denies people the chance to apply for asylum.

Home Secretary David Blunkett also attended the meeting in Florence but left before the closing news conference because of parliamentary engagements.