EU ministers fail to agree on relocation of 40,000 migrants from Greece, Italy

European Union ministers have failed to reach an agreement on the relocation of the 40,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy and will be meeting again later on this month to establish how many refugees each member state will be taking.

The stalemate came a day after the UN refugee agency announced that data from Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain showed 137,000 people arriving in those countries between January and June, 83 percent more than the same time last year.

The European Union reacted to the death of 1,867 people at sea this year by devising the European Agenda on Migration. The plan includes the relocation of 40,000 refugees from Greece and Italy and resettlements of 20,000 others outside the EU.

"The debate we've had was very difficult. It's a very sensitive issue," said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.

Meeting in Luxembourg, Asselborn said ministers did manage to agree how to distribute 20,000 refugees currently being housed outside Europe.

But getting countries to commit to divide up the 40,000 making their way to Greece and Italy over the next two years will prove to be a tough one.

Only a few weeks ago, the EU leaders had a heated discussion running into the early hours of the morning on the relocation of the migrants where it was finally agreed that there was “the political will” to take in the refugees – although the council conclusions did not refer to any ‘mandatory’ burden sharing.

"We're not very far from the target but some countries need time to negotiate, time to adjust and that is why today we preferred to defer it to July 20," Asselborn said.

Meanwhile, Malta’s Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela commented that “progress was registered” and that this should augur well.

“This is not just about irregular migration but also about the credibility of the European Union,” a statement issued by the ministry read.

Abela, who participated in the meeting, confirmed that the ministers agreed on the distribution of 20,000 refugees while a separate meeting on the relocation of the migrants will be held later on this month.

In November Malta will be hosting the Valletta Summit, bringing together countries from the EU and North Africa around one table. Abela said this would be an opportunity for countries of origin and transit to be more involved in the EU’s plan to tackle migration.