Excerpt:
EU interior ministers meet Tuesday to try to break a two-year deadlock over reforming asylum rules with a deadline looming and pressure from Italy’s new populist leaders.
The ministers will hear Bulgaria’s new compromise proposals on how to close an east-west rift over the reforms before a June 28-29 summit in Brussels.
The summit marks the end of Sofia’s six months holding the European Union’s rotating presidency and also coincides with the expected start of increased migrant sea crossings as the weather improves.
Coming to power amid popular discontent over the migration and unemployment crises, Italy’s populist coalition government has denounced the draft reforms.
“Italy and Sicily cannot be Europe’s refugee camp,” new hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini said Sunday in Sicily’s port of Pozzallo, a migrant landing point.