U-turn over Balkan camps for refugees

The Government backed down last night over its plan to set up asylum camps just outside the European Union's borders, and said it would propose a less controversial scheme at an EU summit this week.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said the idea of establishing "transit centres" in the Balkans or Ukraine is "not being actively considered within the EU at the moment".

The proposal provoked fierce opposition from campaigners because of the suggestion that asylum-seekers who arrived in the UK could be deported to the camps while applications were considered.

Germany is worried that the centres might act as a magnet for bogus asylum-seekers, and the European Commission raised legal objections including the lack of clarity over which legal system would operate in the camps.

Another notable critic has been the United Nations High Commission for Refugees which attacked the concept, arguing that building a series of holding camps could produce multiple Sangattes - the French refugee centre that was shut down earlier this year.

Mr Straw said a second UK proposal would be discussed when Tony Blair gathered with other EU leaders at a summit in Greece later this week. Under this plan, pilot projects will be set up to create "zones of protection" in areas where a refugee crisis is likely to develop. He cited the Horn of Africa as one area, and said "we have full UNHCR support" for this idea.

Beverley Hughes, the Asylum minister, echoed Mr Straw's comments, saying that the Government had "made steady progress in Europe with our proposals for zones of protection. In particular we welcome the contributions from the UNHCR and the European Commission that have recently published a positive contribution about our proposals."

One of the difficulties for the Government has been finding a site for the transit centres. Although Croatia, Albania and Ukraine have emerged as possibilities, no agreements have been struck with governments.

Meanwhile, in an article in The Independent today Mr Straw defends proposals to scrap the national veto on EU decisions on asylum. He argues that the presentation of a draft constitution at the summit in Greece will mark only "the end of the first half" of discussions over the future of Europe. Mr Straw stresses that only national governments will decide the final text of the constitution.