Refugee crisis: EU to hold new emergency meeting on Sept 22

European Union interior ministers will hold another emergency meeting on the EU's migration crisis on September 22, officials announced a day after the bloc failed to agree on plans to relocate tens of thousands of refugees.

European Union interior ministers will hold another emergency meeting on the EU's migration crisis on September 22, officials announced a day after the bloc failed to agree on plans to relocate tens of thousands of refugees.

European commissioner for migration and home affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos (L-R), first vice-president of the European commission Frans Timmermans and Luxembourg's minister of European and foreign affairs Jean Asselborn hold a news conference (Reuters Photo)

Foreign minister Jean Asselborn of Luxembourg, which currently holds the EU presidency, said the "extraordinary" meeting aimed at getting ministers to approve contested plans to redistribute asylum seekers currently in Greece, Hungary and Italy.

"On this occasion, the presidency wants the Council to adopt a decision on a provisional mechanism for the relocation of 120,000 persons in need of international protection from member states exposed to massive migratory flows," the Luxembourg government said.

At an extraordinary meeting on Monday, opposition from eastern European nations scuppered efforts by the interior ministers to reach a unanimous deal on binding quotas for the relocation of refugees. Their failure led German Chancellor Angela Merkel to call earlier Tuesday for an emergency summit of EU leaders to be held next week.

EU President Donald Tusk said he was consulting with other European leaders and would announce a decision on Thursday on whether to hold a special summit.