EU states draw closer on home affairs policy

At an informal meeting of European Union Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Veria, Greece from 28-29 March 2003, there was discussion over the future direction of policy in home affairs. Governments are increasingly conceding that asylum and immigration policy and the pursuit of international crime can no longer be managed by individual Member States. The meeting was somewhat dominated by proposals by David Blunkett, UK Home Secretary, to set up centres outside the European Union to process asylum seekers. Some countries, including Spain and Italy, were in favour, but Germany and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees were less enthusiastic