Migrants pouring into Europe from across the Med could be detained in camps for up to 18 months before being sent home, under EU plans leaked yesterday.

The tough proposals came as George Osborne and David Cameron said political leaders must ‘break the link’ that enables someone to get on a boat in Africa, claim asylum then ‘spend the rest of their lives’ in Europe.

The UK Government also announced it was sending officers from the National Crime Agency to help root out the people smugglers organising the boat trips.

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A migrant - draped in a Union flag sleeping bag - sits at the French-Italian border. Leaked EU plans suggest migrants pouring Europe from across the Med could now be detained in camps for up to 18 months

They will join a new ‘intelligence fusion cell’ based in Sicily, Prime Minister David Cameron revealed during a visit to Italy.

The plans to detain migrants in Italy were laid out in a letter from the EU commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramapoulous, to home affairs ministers.

Many tens of thousands of people arriving in the country, often after being rescued by the British Navy, would normally be held for six months. This could be extended to 18 months in the event of ‘non-cooperation’.

Mr Avramapoulous said ‘to ensure that the illegal migrants will be repatriated effectively they should be detained as a legitimate measure of last resort to avoid the escape of illegal immigrants’.

He added: ‘Where there is a reasonable probability of repatriation the prospects of repatriation should not be ruined by a premature end to detention’.

Last night the European Commission denied that the plans, which were leaked to Italian newspapers, amounted to ‘mass detention centres in Italy’.

New plans: Many tens of thousands of people arriving in Italy (pictured) would normally be held for six months. This could be extended to 18 months in the event of ‘non-cooperation’

HUNGARY PLANNING BARRICADE Hungary has vowed to erect a 13ft-high fence along its border with Serbia to stop immigrants entering the EU. Announcing the 100-mile barricade, foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said that Hungary ‘could not wait any longer’ for a solution to the migration crisis. There has been a huge rise in migrants entering the EU overland through the Balkans. Some 54,000 have crossed into Hungary so far this year – a figure expected to hit 130,000 by the end of 2015. That is up from about 43,000 in 2014 and 2,150 in 2012. Mr Szijjarto said plans for the fence should be finished next week, adding: ‘Immigration is one of the most serious problems facing the European Union today.’ Advertisement

Officials said they had no power to order such a move – with it being left to the Italian authorities to decide who to detain, based on the risk of absconding. The EU also reiterated its desire for a ‘fairer division’ of the migrants between member states.

But the fact the Commission is at least talking about the need for detention and repatriation was seen at Westminster as a vindication of Britain’s argument that, unless economic migrants are sent home, more and more people will attempt the perilous journey across the Mediterranean.

Yesterday, Mr Osborne warned of the need to ‘break the link’ between people thinking they can get on a boat in Africa and spend the rest of their lives in Europe.

The Chancellor, standing in for Mr Cameron at Prime Minister’s Questions, insisted Britain would continue to play its part in the rescue effort even when HMS Bulwark ends its deployment.

The ship – which has rescued thousands of migrants so far – is due to be withdrawn later this summer for ‘essential maintenance’.

Mr Osborne said: ‘Taking people out of the water and rescuing them and their lives is absolutely essential. We are a humanitarian nation and need to deal with that. But you have to break the link that enables someone to get on a boat and then claim asylum in Europe.’

Speaking after yesterday’s talks, Mr Cameron insisted: ‘We need a comprehensive approach … that goes after the criminal gangs, a comprehensive approach where we work with “intelligence fusion cells” in Sicily, where we will be putting people and resources into that.’

Promise: George Osborne, standing in for David Cameron at Prime Minister’s Questions (pictured), insisted Britain would continue to play its part in the rescue effort even when HMS Bulwark ends its deployment

The Tories’ comments provoked anger from human rights groups. Amnesty UK’s Steve Symonds, said: ‘There is no necessary link to break between getting on a boat or claiming asylum, and any indefinite entitlement to stay in Europe. It is simply irresponsible to suggest this.

Meanwhile, Ukip leader Nigel Farage has claimed the numbers arriving in Europe from Africa could soon reach ‘Biblical proportions’.