Illegal migrant crossings into Europe were up by nearly 50 per cent in the first five months of 2021.
EU border agency Frontex said crossings were on the increase again after falling to a record low in the early months of the pandemic.
In May, with Covid restrictions reduced in much of Europe, the number of arrivals was more than double that in May 2020.
The total from January to May was 47,100, a rise of about 47 per cent compared with the same period last year.
The biggest jump took place on the central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy.
The number of illegal crossings on that route more than doubled compared with last year, with about 15,700 between January and May.
More than 1,000 boats arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa in the space of 12 hours at the height of the influx in May, leading to fears for safety on the island. A police union official described the situation as "literally explosive".
Migrants from Tunisia and Bangladesh were the two largest groups taking the route.
In the Eastern Mediterranean, numbers were down compared with early 2020 when Turkey sparked a crisis by throwing open its border with Greece.
However, there was a threefold rise in May, when about 1,400 crossed into Europe on the route.
Frontex is under scrutiny by rights groups for its alleged role in forcing migrants back to Turkey, which it denies.
It has about 600 officers in Greece monitoring the border and dealing with incoming migrants.
Greece proposed last month that the border agency should operate beyond Europe's waters to stop illegal migrants.
More than a million refugees and migrants entered Greece at the height of the 2015 refugee crisis, mostly on boats from Turkey.
Most of the illegal crossings on the Eastern Mediterranean route this year were by Turkish and Syrian citizens.
More guards in Spain
Migrant crossings to Spain were also up compared with last year, with people from Algeria accounting for three quarters of these.
About 4,500 people crossed the Mediterranean to Spain, while another 5,300 arrived in the Canary Islands.
Frontex said it would increase its presence in Spain for the summer, with 100 officers checking arrivals at Spanish ports.
They will include forged document experts and border guards specially trained to detect stolen cars.
“The information collected during the operation is important for the fight against criminal organisations and future investigations,” Frontex said.
Some of the Frontex officers will be stationed at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the coast of North Africa.
Spain sent troops to the enclave last month after a sudden surge of migrants to the border.
About 1,500 migrant children are being housed in overcrowded warehouses in Ceuta, activists say.
The biog
Name: Greg Heinricks
From: Alberta, western Canada
Record fish: 56kg sailfish
Member of: International Game Fish Association
Company: Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
