As crisis in the Med deepens

EUROPE faced a migrant crisis on two fronts last night as record numbers attempted to reach the continent.

More than 6,500 people were plucked from the Mediterranean off Libya on Monday – the most ever in a single day.

Another 3,000 were rescued yesterday, including a man, above, who became a single father to his newborn baby when his wife died in Libya. There were also warnings that the route into Europe via the Greek islands has opened up again.

Some 462 migrants arrived on Monday – the highest number since the EU signed a £5billion deal with Turkey to stem the flow in March. The International Organisation for Migration yesterday said 2,808 people have arrived in Greece so far this month, the largest figure since April.

Turkish officials have been threatening to scrap its deal with the EU to take back anyone arriving on the Greek islands.

So far under the agreement, just 482 people have been returned to Turkey but none had applied for asylum.

Bulgaria yesterday asked the EU to provide 300 border guards after it said there had been a rise in the number of people crossing from Turkey. Hungary’s Minister of State for Church, Nationality and Civil relations Miklos Soltesz said the continent needed to protect Christianity.

He said: ‘While respecting the culture and religious efforts of others, we must strengthen our Christianity and co-operate with other nations. Hungary justly expects that its borders are respected.’

Meanwhile the EU said it would train the Libyan coastguard and navy to curb numbers crossing to Italy.