THE idea of screening Europe-bound asylum-seekers in North Africa and the Balkans gained support from several European Union leaders Sunday as tensions over how to best handle new arrivals threatened to undermine the bloc’s unity.

At emergency talks in Brussels, a group of 16 countries led by France and Germany were thrashing out who should take responsibility for the thousands of migrants landing primarily in Italy, Greece, and Spain, how long they should take care of them, and how much their European partners should do to help out.

Failure to agree on how to deal with the challenge of migration threatens the EU’s border-free travel area, one of the biggest accomplishments in the bloc’s 60-year history.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would seek direct deals with separate European Union states on migration, conceding the bloc had failed to find a joint solution to the issue threatening her government.

Since Mediterranean arrivals spiked in 2015, when more than a million refugees and migrants reached the bloc, EU leaders have been at odds over how to handle them. The feud has weakened their unity and undermined Europe’s Schengen free-travel area.

EU leaders will endorse further tightening of their external borders and give more money to foreign countries to prevent people from setting sail for Europe.

But they cannot agree on how to share out those asylum seekers who make it.

Wealthy Germany is where the newly-arrived mostly end up and Merkel is under pressure to curb the numbers. Her coalition partner is pushing for firmer action that could break her government.

“There will be bilateral and trilateral agreements, how can we help each other, not always wait for all 28 members,” she said.

French President Emmanuel Macron offered his backing, saying the solution should be “European” but it could just be several states together.

United Nations data shows only about 41,000 people have made it to the EU across the sea this year. But opinion polls show migration is the top concern of the EU’s 500 million citizens.

Since 2015, migration has decided elections across the bloc from Italy to Hungary, with voters favoring a tougher stance.

In response, the EU has turned increasingly restrictive on asylum and pushed to curb arrivals, a strategy denounced by rights groups.

Italy has long struggled to cope with arrivals and its new populist government rejects any idea that would see it handle more people.

EU states will agree later this week to spend more money on Syrian refugees in Turkey and provide more cash for Africa projects. (SD-Agencies)