(VOVworld) – On Friday, EU foreign ministers held an unofficial meeting to discuss new proposals to address the escalating migrant crisis.

Members of the Italian Coast Guard rescued dozens of migrants crowded onto an inflatable dinghy off the coast of Libya. (Photo: Associated Press)

Despite deep divisions in the 28-member bloc, France and Germany said they had agreed that the EU should now impose binding quotas on the numbers that member states should take in to share the burden. Meanwhile, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will next week unveil a plan for the relocation of at least 120,000 more refugees to ease the burden on front-line EU nations Greece, Italy and Hungary. The EU’s president Donald Tusk also called on member states to share the resettlement of at least 100,000 refugees - far above the current agreement for 32,000. According to the latest statistics from the International Organization of Migration, this year, more than 350,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean sea and around 2,600 people lost their lives during dangerous journeys with the hope of finding a better life in Europe.