Migrant crisis: Refugee camps for 2 million in Turkey on the table as Erdogan begins talks with EU

Turkey could open six refugee camps for a further 2m Syrian refugees under plans being discussed by EU officials and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels.

As Europe looks to address its ongoing migrant crisis, over the course of which 630,000 people have entered the European Union illegally this year, the EU is looking to have Turkey take on a more active role in pursuing people traffickers.

Erdogan and the EU representatives will look to hammer out deal that would see the Turkish coast guard operating alongside Greece in the Aegean.

Under the proposed plans, refugees and migrants picked up on their way to Greece and its islands of Kos, Lesbos, Samos and Chios would be returned to Turkey. They would then be housed in camps for up to two million people, which would be built and co-financed by the EU, to relieve the huge pressure on Greece in particular.

European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament chief Martin Schulz are expected to meet with Erdogan, who is looking for EU movement over Syria.

The embattled Turkish president faces parliamentary elections and has played to crowds of the Turkish diaspora in Europe over the EU's handling of the migrant crisis. "Europe is uncomfortable with even the smallest refugee flow," he said in Strasbourg. "What do they say to us? ... 'Oh my, don't open your doors, don't let them reach us. They should stay with you,'" Turkish media reported.

Turkey already houses two million refugees from the Syrian conflict within its borders. The EU has pledged at least €1bn ($1.1bn) for Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon as Germany has announced it could take up to 1.5 million refugees, a dramatic rise on the 800,000 it pledged to take in August.