EU border agency plans unveiled

Brussels is trying to stem migrant influx

The European Commission has unveiled proposals for a new border control agency to stem the influx of illegal migrants into the union.

The aim is to boost co-operation in the fight against trafficking and immigration, especially ahead of the entry of 10 more members next May.

An EU official said setting up the new agency was "a race against time".

The BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels says that EU officials admit this is a modest proposal.

Some 500,000 illegal migrants and nearly 400,000 asylum seekers are believed to enter the union each year.

But the agency will only have small budget and no more than 30 staff to help counter this influx.

The main objective is to create an integrated border management which would ensure a high and uniform level of control and surveillance EU report

According to the current plans, it will assess migration patterns, ensure equal training standards for all national border guards, and send experts to crisis areas with a sudden wave of migrant arrivals.

It will also help member countries buy expensive equipment, such as special scanners which detect stowaways inside trucks.

"The main objective is to create an integrated border management which would ensure a high and uniform level of control and surveillance," a report to the EU member countries said.

But the joint border guard called for by countries like Belgium and Spain is still far from taking shape.