EU Commission to Announce Refugee Relocation Proposal Next Week

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will present a proposal for the relocation of refugees within the European Union next week, Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans said Friday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – In recent months, Europe has been struggling to cope with a major influx of migrants fleeing war-torn countries in the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

"President Juncker will announce an enhanced proposal for relocation next week, especially for three most affected countries Greece, Italy and Hungary," Timmermans said at a press conference on the Greek island of Kos.

He added that the European Commission would insist on the relocation throughout the bloc.

In order to tackle the crisis, the Commission has proposed to introduce a mandatory quota system to distribute migrants to all EU member-states according to demographic and economic criteria, but the move has been met by stiff opposition from several EU states.

On September 9, the Commission is expected to announce its proposals for a permanent mechanism to ensure "a fair distribution" of refugees among the EU member states.