The migration crisis hasn't gone away, as EU leaders are finding to their increasing panic

The migration crisis had its peak in the public consciousness two years ago, with its human cost tragically represented by the body of three year old Aylan Kurdi washing up on a Turkish beach, but it did not go away when European leaders struck a deal with President Erodgan to have Turkey handle the inflow of asylum seekers.

The closure of the Balkan route has left tens of thousands in limbo in Greece, Serbia and the islands of the eastern Aegean. It has become much harder for migrants to make their way into Europe through the East, so they are heading West.

Rather than travel across the Mediterranean to Greece, which has seen numbers fall since the middle of 2015, they are now aiming for Italy and Spain. Italy is top of their target list, with approximately 85 per cent (96,400) arriving there since the start of 2017.  President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani warned back in July that Europe was facing a potential influx of “biblical proportions”. Fellow Italian politician Gianni Pittella, leader of the socialist MEPs, has urged his fellow Europeans this week to "get out of the mind-set that the crisis of 2015 was a one-off", adding that "large-scale migration to Europe is going to be a fact for decades to come".

Those hoping to cross into Europe are trying their luck by heading for Spain, according to the International Organization for Migration. Almost 8,200 migrants have landed on Spain's shores so far this year, more than have arrived over the whole of 2016. Some are paying smugglers to travel across the Strait of Gibraltar on rickety boats from Morocco. Others who do not want to make that journey are seeking safety on Spanish territory by setting their sights on Ceuta, an exclave in Morroco. 

Authorities have been struggling to cope with the surge of arrivals. This Monday, nearly 200 migrants stormed the fence marking where Morocco's border ends and the Spanish territory begins. The day after, around 1,000  migrants tried again to storm the border, this time armed with sticks and stones, but were pushed back by officers. A further group of around 700 sub-Saharan Africans tried to break through on Thursday but were pushed back once more.

The European Union is more than aware of the scale of the problem, judging by a confidential report that emerged in May from the bloc saying that over 6 million migrants were gathered on the southern Mediterranean coast, waiting to make the journey to Europe. However, its leading lights are more keen on finding someone to blame, rather than a lasting solution to the migration crisis.  

In his warning about the scale of the problem, Signor Pittella blames the "failed approach of the last two years" on EU members such as Hungary who have failed to take in enough asylum seekers. Rancour will grow, he argued, unless Brussels ensures that "all member states share responsibility" for managing the inflow of migration. If this "European approach" was not instituted, he concluded that it "could become a systemic crisis that threatens the EU itself". Hungary's leader Viktor Orban has argued that the EU's liberal migration agenda is a threat to continental security, declaring last year the bloc needed to "come to its senses or...[it would]...destroy itself". 

Turkey managed to bail out Brussels by taking on responsibility, after pleas from Angela Merkel, for migrants coming its way, but the pressure is now being felt elsewhere in Europe. Libya has stepped in to help Italy out by blocking some migrant boats heading its way, which has encouraged many to target Spain instead.

Don't expect an imminent solution to this stage of the migration crisis, as EU leaders remain at odds. Some like Mrs Merkel feel it is their moral duty to help the asylum seekers, while others like Mr Orban want nothing to do with them. As Europe comes under strain, the finger-pointing in Brussels will only continue.