The three major EU countries, together with Malta, agreed at a meeting in Valletta a few weeks ago on the principles for redistributing refugees and aid seekers picked up from vessels in the Mediterranean.

The current EU Presidency Finland was also present at the meeting, as was the EU Commission which promised to support and coordinate the settlement. Now, other EU countries should also be included in the boat.

Nordic no

However, Sweden does not belong to the sucked.

- No, it is clear that we will discuss the situation, but that we will participate in these temporary solutions is not a message I intend to leave, says Migration Minister Morgan Johansson (S) before the meeting.

"For Sweden's sake, we have already done more than almost any other EU country when it comes to refugee reception in the last five years, so we may not be the first in the queue at this stage," says Johansson.

Denmark also refuses to participate.

- It will only mean that even more vessels will go to European ports. We have instead asked the UN to receive Syrian quota refugees from the refugee camps in Turkey, says Danish Foreign and Integration Minister Mattias Tesfaye to Ritzau.

Hope for solution

Sweden, in turn, hopes that the EU countries will finally be able to agree on the proposals made by the European Commission three years ago on a permanent system for dealing with large refugee flows.

- Our line is that we want a permanent redistribution mechanism made in the way that the Dublin reform outlines. These temporary solutions tend to be just a few countries participating, says Morgan Johansson in Luxembourg.