Germany's foreign minister says the European Union needs to go beyond an already-contentious proposal to redistribute 160,000 migrants who are already in Europe and agree on a "fair distribution mechanism" for those still on their way.

Germany expects 800,000 migrants to arrive this year and Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted that the European Commission's proposal to redistribute refugees will send more to Germany, not take any off its hands.

He was speaking at a meeting with his counterparts from several eastern European countries who are resisting quotas.

Mr Steinmeier added that European nations need to think about "joint European communication" in countries where migrants are coming from to stop rumours arising that "in Europe, wherever it may be, everyone either has a right to asylum or a guaranteed job".

Denmark said earlier that it would not accept any of the 160,000 refugees the EU wants to relocate from Italy, Greece and Hungary.

Like the UK and Ireland, Denmark is not legally bound to take part in EU plans to spread refugees more evenly across the bloc and integration minister Inger Stoejberg made clear that Denmark has no intention of joining voluntarily.

He told reporters: "We won't be part of the distribution of the 160,000 asylum-seekers," and added that Denmark is already receiving a large number of asylum-seekers.

Almost 15,000 people applied for asylum in Denmark last year. Neighbouring Sweden, whose population is nearly twice as large, took in more than 80,000.

Despite this, European Council president Donald Tusk said he is more hopeful now that the EU can deal with the refugee crisis after contacts with member states in recent days.

Speaking during a visit to Cyprus, Mr Tusk said an emergency meeting of EU home affairs and justice ministers on Monday needs to produce "a concrete positive sign of solidarity and unity".

If no deal is found, he said he would have to call an emergency EU Council meeting to tackle the crisis.

Earlier EU diplomats said the bloc's interior ministers will not act on Monday to put into action a new plan to share the refugees in Greece, Italy and Hungary.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker unveiled the plan on Wednesday and called for it to be adopted at the emergency meeting.

But a diplomat with the EU's Luxembourg presidency said "we are hopeful for a formal adoption on October 8" at a meeting in Luxembourg.