EU migration rules: This is how resettled refugees would be allocated to each country
This morning the European Commission outlined its emergency migration measures, designed to reduce the number of people making their way across the Mediterranean on boats.
The plans included four "pillars" to stem the flow of people making the perilous journey, including a resettlement programme, funded with €50m of EU money, under which as many as 20,000 refugees "who are in clear need of international protection" a year.
Under the EC's proposals, countries will be allocated a certain number of people to take in, based on the strength of their economy and unemployment rates.
Mina Andreeva, the EC's deputy chief spokeswoman, tweeted a table showing how many people would be allocated to each country, according to the EC's maths. Interestingly, although the UK comes fairly high up on the list, Ireland is still low down.
Critics of the plans have already pointed out 20,000 would cover about three per cent of asylum seekers – although the plans are expected to be blocked altogether by the UK. The government is currently seeking to renegotiate its relationship with the EU, based on objections to its immigration policies.