Immigration tops EU-Asia talks agenda

FUERTEVENTURA, Spain -- European and Asian ministers are meeting to discuss attempts at stemming the flow of illegal immigration.

It is the sixth such meeting of ministers, but the first to try and tackle the issue of asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe illegally.

They will share experience and knowledge of the mafia practices and routes in illegal human trafficking, many of which go through the Canary Islands where the ministers are meeting.

RESOURCES Immigration: Europe on the Move

Observers say the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Thursday should be bolstered by the fact that EU members agreed to coordinate their immigration policies last February, which could form the bedrock for any extended deal.

The EU bloc is negotiating repatriation agreements with Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Russia and Morocco.

"They will share experiences about the general picture of emigration, causes, effects and problems related to it, as well as cooperation initiatives," a Spanish interior minister was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

Attending the meeting will be representatives from the 15 European Union members and 10 Asian countries including China.

Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and other Asian countries will also discuss procedures to manage legal migration to Europe, which attracts hundreds of thousands of Asian and African illegals every year.

Brunei, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam will also be at the table.

Immigration has become one of the main social problems facing current EU president, Spain, and other European countries like Greece and Italy, which have also traditionally exported workers and are now receiving migrants.