Britain urged to take more migrants as crisis escalates

THE UK will be expected to hand asylum to thousands more refugees to ease the ‘unprecedented’ migration crisis in Italy, Brussels chiefs said yesterday.

As a fierce diplomatic row broke out between European countries over how to deal with the situation, the European Union said Britain was expected to open its doors.

The announcement came as Austria last night prepared to deploy troops to block migrants trying to cross its alpine border from Italy.

Yesterday it emerged that the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean this year has passed 100,000, and nearly 2,250 have died making the journey.

Italy has taken in nearly 85 per cent of the arrivals, while EU officials have warned the migration crisis could last for decades.

Calls for the UK to accept refugees will raise questions about whether or not Theresa May is willing to depart from her previous hard-line approach amid pressure from EU leaders.

Under the voluntary scheme, the Prime Minister will be asked to give refuge to an unspecified number of refugees fleeing war-torn countries such as Libya, Sudan, Niger and Ethiopia.

European Commission deputy head Frans Timmermans yesterday said Mrs May would be pushed to take part in a new programme due to the strain on Italy.

He said the scheme would ‘meet the requirements’ Britain has set in the past, adding: ‘We count on solidarity from all member states including the UK.’

Pointing to further problems, Mr Timmermans said: ‘This migration issue will not go away, not today, not tomorrow ... not for two decades.’

Some 49 African migrants were feared dead yesterday after the Spanish coastguard rescued three survivors on a small rubber boat. It came after officials were tipped off early on Sunday that a vessel carrying 52 people had left the Moroccan coast.