EU takes step towards overhauling migration system

Migrants arrive on an Italian Coast Guard vessel after being rescued at sea, near the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/files

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Union countries on Wednesday sealed a deal on how to handle irregular immigration at times of exceptionally high arrivals, taking a step towards overhauling the bloc's asylum and migration rules before a pan-European election next year.

Envoys of the bloc's 27 member states reached the agreement on Wednesday after overcoming the latest spat between Italy and Germany over charity ships picking people up in the sea as refugees and migrants from the Middle East and Africa try to cross the Mediterranean for Europe.