European nations are warning that once the weather warms this spring, an "unprecedented" wave of economic migrants will attempt to cross the Mediterranean to reach the shores of Europe.

Nearly a million refugees made the crossing in 2015, inundating Germany, Austria, and many other European countries.  Most of those refugees were from Syria and Iraq – war-torn nations with tens of thousands trying to escape the violence.

This time, most of the refugees will be from Africa – Niger, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Mali, and Chad, among others.  While there is violence in several of those countries, the primary reason people want to make the dangerous crossing is economic opportunity.

Daily Caller:

More than 180,000 attempted to reach Italy by sea in 2016. More than 5,000 died during the journey, but authorities expect the trend to continue.

A majority are considered economic migrants with slim chances of getting asylum. Malta, a tiny nation in the Mediterranean, holds the European Union’s presidency this spring and it wants the union to act sooner rather than later.

“Come next spring, the number of people crossing over the Mediterranean will reach record levels,” Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told The Associated Press Sunday. “The choice is trying to do something now, or meeting urgently in April, May … and try to do a deal then.”

The migrant crisis that broke out in 2015 primarily stemmed from Syria and Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of people in North Africa are also pursuing a better life as economies have crippled in recent years.

“Egypt is the country with which one could come to some sort of agreement,” Maltese Foreign Minister George Vella told AP. “There is stability to a certain extent, and they are interested because even they themselves have got their own problem with migration.”

As Editor Lifson reported yesterday, EU nations have quietly approached Australia for ideas on how to deal with the influx of unwanted visitors.  Australia's policies have been condemned by most EU countries, but they apparently are not above seeking advice.

The deal struck earlier this year between the EU and Turkey has worked fairly well in reducing the number of migrants transiting through Turkey to western Europe.  But there are other routes the migrants can take that would cause enormous problems.  Italy would be the first alternate destination, and the Italians are ill equipped to handle the massive invasion expected.  Plus the trip to Italy from North Africa is far longer and more dangerous, which could lead to a big increase in migrant deaths.

There really is no good option for the EU in this crisis.  They either have to be realistic about this mass movement of humans from poor to rich countries and place severe restrictions on entry or continue with what Donald Trump calls "catastrophic" policies of open-door migration.