Revealed: How four out of f ive migrants are not from Syria

FOUR out of f i ve migrants claiming asylum in Europe are not from Syria.

The EU logged 213,000 arrivals in April, May and June but only 44,000 of them were fleeing the civil war there.

Campaigners and Left-wing MPs have suggested the vast majority of migrants are from the war-torn state, accusing the Government of doing too little to help.

David Davies, Tory MP for Monmouthshire, said: ‘This exposes the lie peddled in some quarters that vast numbers of those reaching Europe are from Syria.

‘Most people who are escaping the war will go to camps in Lebanon or Jordan.

‘Many of those who have opted to risk their lives to come to Europe have done so for economic reasons.’

Sir Bill Cash, a fellow Tory, said: ‘These figures make disturbing reading. This adds to substantial evidence that there are a large number of economic migrants who are aiming for a better life.’

The figures from Eurostat, the EU’s official statistical agency, show that migration from April to June was running at double the level of the same period in 2014.

The number of Afghans lodging asylum claims is up from 6,300 to 27,000. Another 17,700 claims were made by Albanians, whose country is at peace.

A further 13,900 applicants came from Iraq which, like Syria, is being torn apart by the Islamic State terror group.

Half a million migrants have arrived in Europe so far this year, with 156,000 coming in August alone. Rather than claiming asylum in the first safe EU country they reach, most head on toward wealthy northern states.

The human cost of the crisis has been paid by the estimated 3,000 migrants who have drowned after putting their lives in the hands of people smugglers for the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean. More than 250,000 migrants have reached Greece and Italy, where authorities are close to breaking point. German Chancellor Angela Merkel fuelled the chaos by declaring that any

‘Extremely disturbing’

Syrian who reached the country could claim asylum. When numbers became uncontrollable Berlin shut its borders, throwing Austria, Hungary and other EU countries into turmoil.

Croatia has received 14,000 migrants in the past two days and last night moved some to the Hungarian border. Hungary is laying razor wire on the border having done the same on its boundary with Serbia.

Croatia has closed seven of eight road crossings to Serbia and ordered border guards to redirect migrants to Hungary and Slovenia. Violence broke out yesterday between Syrian and Afghan migrants fighting to board trains across Croatia.

Slovenian riot police l ast night stood in the path of 200 migrants trying to enter from Croatia. Slovenian ministers say they will accept asylum seekers but send back anyone deemed to be illegal.

Britain, which received 7,470 asylum applications between April and June, has been criticised for failing to join an EU scheme to spread 160,000 people between the 28 member states.

David Cameron has announced the UK will shelter 20,000 vulnerable Syrians from camps in Lebanon and Jordan. But he rejected calls to take migrants already in Europe.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Claiming asylum must not be viewed as an easy means of settlement by those who are not actually refugees.’