The European Union (EU) is predicting that three million more migrants could arrive in the 28-nation bloc by the end of next year.
More than 700,000 people have come to Europe seeking sanctuary or jobs so far this year, overwhelming reception centers and border authorities.
The EU Autumn Economic Forecast released on Thursday say that based on current migrant entries and a “technical assumption” about future flows, arrival rates are unlikely to slow before 2017.
The EU’s executive Commission said that “overall, an additional 3 million persons is assumed to arrive in the EU over the forecast period.”
Responding to the news, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said:
“Nothing illustrates the need to be out of the EU and to restore proper border controls more than this dire prediction.”
The Commission says the refugee crisis has resulted in additional government spending but that it could have a small, positive impact on growth in European economies “in the medium term from the increase in labour supply, provided the right policies are in place to facilitate access to the labour market.”
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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