Asylum seekers arriving in Britain may be sent to a "transit processing centre" just outside the EU boundaries to have their claims decided, under plans to be presented by the home secretary, David Blunkett, to his European colleagues tomorrow.  The scheme, which would apply to all asylum seekers arriving in the union, and could involve them being sent to Ukraine or Russia, has been drawn up by the government's asylum task force as a further deterrent to those who enter the EU illegally and make unfounded asylum applications.  The "medium-term" plan for "transit processing centres" is intended to operate alongside the government's "longer-term" scheme, disclosed earlier this year, for UN safe havens to provide a much higher level of protection to refugees in regions close to the main areas of global conflict.  Although last week's EU summit in Brussels was dominated by Iraq, Tony Blair found time to raise the issue formally with Britain's EU partners, which have already privately expressed interest in the scheme. Last night Mr Blunkett told the Guardian that the new provisions were needed because the EU could not carry on pursuing old solutions to the asylum problem which did not work.  "The common European asylum package to bring in common minimum standards is good as far as it goes, but we need a radically new approach to delivering the reduction in asylum seeker numbers that we need," he said.  The transit zones would undercut the operation of gangs which charge thousands of dollars to help asylum seekers enter the EU illegally.  "They would process claims without people travelling to the countries in which they want to seek asylum. They would be safe and decently treated while their claims were being looked at."  The Brussels summit agreed that tomorrow's meeting of justice and home affairs ministers would consider a British paper outlining the scheme and the European commission, in consultation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is drawing up detailed proposals to be put to the next EU summit in June.  The British paper says that the transit processing centres should be set up on the routes currently taken by illegal migrants into the EU.  "Those given refugee status could then be resettled in participating member states on a burden-sharing basis. Others would be returned to their country of origin.  "This approach could act as a deterrent to abuse of the asylum system, whilst preserving the right to protection for those who are genuinely entitled to it."  The paper says the scheme would be in line with Britain's duties under the 1951 convention on refugees and the European convention on human rights, since there is no obligation to handle asylum claims in the country of application.  The paper says: "The centre would be located outside the EU. It could be managed by the International Organisation for Migration, with a screening system approved by the UNHCR. It could be financed by participating member states - but we would also wish to closely involve the European commission."  Although no names of potential sites for centres are mentioned in the paper, an earlier leaked version suggested that Ukraine or Russia might be suitable candidates.  Illegal migrants intercepted en route to the EU might be sent to the transit processing centres but the paper says that certain categories of people, such as disabled people and minors, would never be included in the scheme.  The Labour MEP Claude Moraes, a member of the European parliament's home affairs committee, said: "Improved in-region protection of asylum seekers as part of a comprehensive EU approach is hugely desirable, but extending the concept to transit processing centres may run the risk of the EU being accused of 'dumping' asylum seekers in less developed non-EU countries."  More at guardian.co.uk/refugees Classification Language: ENGLISH Subject: POLITICAL ASYLUM (92%); EUROPEAN UNION (91%); CONFERENCES & CONVENTIONS (89%); REFUGEES (89%); MIGRATION ISSUES (79%); TALKS & MEETINGS (78%); EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS (78%); INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORGANIZATIONS (78%); SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES (78%); ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (74%); UNITED NATIONS (74%); HUMAN RIGHTS (68%); RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS (68%); TREATIES & AGREEMENTS (60%); HUMAN RIGHTS & CIVIL LIBERTIES LAW (50%) Person: TONY BLAIR (58%) Geographic: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (92%); UNITED KINGDOM (94%); EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES (94%); EUROPE (92%); BELGIUM (91%); IRAQ (79%); UKRAINE (57%)