The European Commission is ready to give its approval this week to plans allowing visa-free travel to Europe for 127m people from Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo.
Under the arrangement, tourists from the four countries will be able to move freely within the 26-member Schengen zone for up to three months. They will still require a visa to enter Britain.
Critics fear the tourists’ ranks could be swelled by many of the estimated 400,000 Kurds from southeast Turkey displaced by a government clampdown. Diplomats say many could successfully seek asylum.
Turkey, home to 75m people, is included in the plans as part of a deal, pushed by Germany, to enlist its help in controlling the flow of migrants to Europe.
The proposal will be put