Europe “will have a very dangerous situation developing if countries go it alone” on issues of asylum and handling refugees, according to Peter Sutherland, United Nations Special Representative for International Migration.

Speaking to Newstalk Lunchtime, Mr Sutherland said that there needs to be an agreement and action upon a “a common policy and a common mechanism for establishing the rights and maintain a the right of refugees”.

The response of some countries, in particular Hungary which has erected razor-wire fences along its border and begun arresting refugees and migrants crossing the border illegally, has been surprising considering those nations’ history, Mr Sutherland said.

“In 1956 we had the immediate response of the world community to the Soviet invasion (of Hungary) when within days 200,000 refugees from Hungary received accommodation and asylum elsewhere. 

“It seems to me incredible that countries at the heart of Europe ... who have seen so much trauma have so much difficulty in appreciating that those who are prosecuted deserve asylum,” he added.

Listen: Peter Sutherland speaks to Newstalk Lunchtime

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said that no plans have been decided on as to where refugees accepted into Ireland will be housed.

It comes after comments from Minister of State Aodhan O'Riordain that refugees should be housed outside of Dublin because of the housing crisis. He said that facilities for refugees should be in less densely populated parts of the country.

However Mr Kenny says that logistics surrounding the acceptance of migrants are still being worked out.

"There's a multi-departmental taskforce looking at this now - we have to have the plan and the strategy clear - no decision has been made about that" he said.

"The decisions we have made are for the 600, in respect of last July, and the 4,000 that the government signed off on last week".

"There's a whole range of logistics to be put in place and all of those matters will be dealt with in due course" he added.

While the Defence Minister Simon Coveney says he believes that quotas should be imposed on EU member states who fail to agree on the number of refugees to accept.

Responding to the hardline Hungarian stance, Mr Coveney says he understands that some countries are struggling with high volumes of immigrants, but he says the EU has to work together to solve the crisis.

Minister Coveney says he expects the first cohort of Syrian refugees will be settled in Ireland by Christmas.

And he says every state must play its part.