France will take in 24,000 refugees over next two years: Hollande

PARIS: President Francois Hollande said Monday France would take in 24,000 refugees over the next two years and proposed to host an international conference on Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War II.

Hollande told reporters the European Commission was preparing to unveil a proposal for mandatory quotas for EU states to relocate 120,000 refugees, "which for France will represent 24,000 people. We will do it."

"The issue of refugees and displaced people is first and foremost an issue that affects southern countries... It affects Africa, the Middle East but also other continents including Asia," the president said at his bi-annual press conference.

"We will propose to host an international conference on refugees in Paris."

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker will unveil proposals for mandatory quotas on Wednesday.

A European source on Monday said France would take in 24,000 people, adding that Germany would take more than 31,400 refugees to relieve the burden on Greece, Italy and Hungary.

"Since the beginning of the year, 350,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean to reach Europe," Hollande told reporters.

"It's a tragic and serious crisis. It can be brought under control and it will be."