EU considers air strikes and plan to share refugees

EUROPE is considering air strikes on Libya in a bid to tackle people-trafficking networks based in the country, alongside a controversial new plan to cope with migration.
The European Commission is to put forward new proposals that would oblige all EU member states to receive a certain number of refugees and people seeking asylum, based on a quota system.
The plan is a response to the crisis in the Mediterranean, which has seen thousands of people die in recent months trying to reach the continent.
Germany supports the refugee relocation proposal, but it’s likely to be strongly opposed by the new British Conservative government.
Meanwhile, the EU is also forming plans for a military intervention in Libya, with Britain in charge of seeking authorisation from the United Nations for the action.
There is broad agreement across the EU for the military action, which is to be led by Italy, but the proposal to share the number of refugees arriving in Europe will be more controversial amongst governments.
Germany and Sweden between them currently share more than 50 per cent of people seeking asylum in the EU. The new system would see refugees resettled across Europe, according to a key system based on countries’ ability to provide care, based on information such as national wealth and unemployment levels.
According to the Guardian newspaper, the European Commission argues that the agreement would be made regarding “persons in clear need of international protection” and “to ensure a fair and balanced participation of all member states to this common effort. This step will be the precursor of a lasting solution.”
But on Sunday evening (May 10) the British Home Office released a statement saying the UK would “oppose any EU commission proposals to introduce a non-voluntary quota.”