EU countries may have to pay €250,000 for each asylum-seeker they reject

European Union countries that refuse to accept refugees under new asylum plans face €250,000 ($285,000) fines in "solidarity contributions" for each asylum-seeker rejected, under new rules announced by the European Commission. 

The plan, which aims to lift the pressure of asylum applications on countries such as Greece and Italy, still has to be approved by a large majority of member countries. 

Under present EU laws -- dubbed the Dublin rules -- people seeking asylum in Europe must apply in the country where they first arrive. 

The new scheme would take place automatically once a country is overburdened: asylum-seekers will be allocated across the continent based on each nation's population and economic strength calculated on GDP. 

However, members can decide not to take part in the scheme for 12 months.

Some countries have already expressed their opposition to the plan. Hungary is even planning to hold a referendum on the refugee quota by October, while Slovakia is taking the EU to court over migrant quotas. 

"The member state which temporarily does not take part in the corrective allocation must make a solidarity contribution of €250,000 per applicant," according to the text, which is draft legal proposal to EU states and the European Parliament.

 The UK, Ireland and Denmark have opt-out mechanism on the new proposals. 

The relocation scheme wants to relocate 16,000 refugees from countries most affected by the refugee crisis, notably Italy and Greece, by September 2017. 

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