>Europe could face a new wave of migrant arrivals this summer, a leaked German government report has warned. Up to 6.6m people are waiting in countries around the Mediterranean to cross into Europe, according to details of the classified report leaked to Bild newspaper.
>They include more than 2.5m in North Africa waiting to attempt the perilous crossing by boat. Angela Merkel’s government has not commented on the report, which the newspaper says was marked for internal use only.
>It says 1m are waiting in Libya, where smugglers use small and often unseaworthy boats to carry migrants to outlying Italian islands. Another 1m are waiting in Egypt, 430,000 in Algeria, 160,000 in Tunisia, and 50,000 in Morocco. Others are waiting in transit countries along the route, with up to 720,000 in Jordan.
>The manifesto will include plans for “those who are rescued from drowning” while attempting the crossing to be returned to where they set out, according to Bild. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is currently riding high in the opinion polls, discontent at her “open-door” refugee policy behind her.
>But any repeat of the chaotic scenes of 2015 could threaten her chances of re-election. More than 50,000 migrants have arrived in Italy by boat so far this year, an increase of 45 per cent compared to last year, though still far fewer than in 2015. More than half are reportedly economic migrants from Nigeria, Bangladesh, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire and the Gambia.
Seriously, what will it take for Europeans to wake up?
