Nigel Farage warned plans to allow Turkey's 75million citizens into the UK was 'bordering on insanity'

Britain faces the spectre of another wave of mass migration after Brussels bureaucrats opened the gates of Europe to Turkey's 75million citizens.

Plans to allow Turks access to EU visas – in exchange for their country's help with the Syrian migration crisis – were branded as 'bordering on insanity' last night. Ukip leader Nigel Farage warned the deal – a possible precursor to Turkey becoming a full EU member – could result in even more pressure on UK schools and hospitals.

He added that Turkey was 'too big, too poor and too different from us culturally' to be in the EU. But Turkey's hardline president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, demanded membership as the price for stemming the tide of refugees pouring over his country's borders into Europe.

In exchange for the visa deal and £2.2billion in aid – which could include up to £260million from the UK – Mr Erdogan will step up border controls, tackle people-smuggling gangs and re-admit failed asylum seekers who had entered Europe from Turkey. Late on Thursday night at a summit in Brussels, EU officials agreed to speed up talks on visas allowing Turks into the EU's border-free Schengen Zone, which could come into effect as soon as next year.

This would not automatically allow access to the UK, but could still fuel black market immigration to Britain.

Yesterday, as Mr Erdogan held the continent to ransom over the migration crisis, with the demand of three billion euros (£2.2billion) in aid, EU officials announced they would 're-energise' membership negotiations with Turkey.

But critics said any deal on visas, or further moves toward handing the Turks EU citizenship, would only swap the prospect of two million Syrian refugees arriving from Turkey, with the threat of its 75million citizens being given the chance to pour in.

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Refugees reach the Greek island of Lesbos on a rubber dinghy yesterday - EU member states hope talks with Turkey will help ease the migrant crisis

More than 3,000 migrants have died trying to reach Greece from Turkey - measures have been drawn up to encourage refugees to remain in Turkey to prevent them making the treacherous journey across sea

Turkey is far less well off than the EU, meaning that a mass of poor immigrants could be tempted to move west.

More than 95 per cent of Turkey's territory is in Asia and its population is overwhelmingly Muslim, meaning the clash of cultures could lead to difficulties integrating with predominantly Christian Europe.

TURKEY'S LIST OF DEMANDS TO EU - Possible €3bn (£2.2bn) in aid - Prospect of easier access to travel visas - 'Re-energised' talks on joining the EU - Establishment of an international 'safe zone' for refugees inside northern Syria Advertisement

Extending the EU to Turkey would also mean the bloc shared borders with wartorn Syria as well as Iraq and Iran.

Mr Farage warned the proposal was 'bordering on insanity' and would give millions 'access to come to Britain, to use the Health Service, to use our primary schools and to take jobs'. He added: 'Turkey is a state with a terrible human rights record run by a dictatorial Islamist president.

'He is threatening to flood Europe with migrants unless we pay him three billion euros and accept Turkey into the EU. This blackmail is completely unacceptable.' Turkey has the upper hand in negotiations, as the EU needs help in coping with the biggest mass migration since the Second World War.

The country hosts more than two million Syrian refugees, and since January 350,000 people have tried to enter the EU in Greece from Turkey – only 50,000 of whom were stopped by Turkish authorities.

Angela Merkel, speaking at the EU leaders' summit, described the current situation as 'very disorderly'

AVERAGE WAGE JUST £400 A MONTH FOR TURKEY'S 75MILLION PEOPLE Turkey’s population of 75million is set to reach 95million by 2060.

According to the EU’s Eurostat statistics agency, the country’s average monthly wage for a single person with no children is £434, compared with £2,070 in the UK.

Its GDP per capita last year was £6,815 – less than a quarter of the UK’s (£29,520).

Turkey’s combined borders with Iraq, Iran and Syria total 1,120 miles.

41 per cent of Turkey’s population is under 25, compared with 30 per cent of Britons. The country’s population is 99 per cent Muslim.

EU leaders have condemned authoritarian moves by the Islamist president Recep Tayyip Erdogan against the Kurdish minority, the media and justice system.

Mr Erdogan became the country’s first directly elected president in August last year.

The country currently hosts more refugees than any other in the world, with 2.2million Syrians.

Life expectancy is 75, six years lower than in the UK. Advertisement

At the summit, EU leaders including David Cameron endorsed an 'action plan' for working with Turkey, including speeding up negotiations on visa rules and considering funding the huge aid package.

But Mr Erdogan yesterday still accused the EU of failing to do enough to share the migration burden, adding: 'They keep saying, 'We can't do without Turkey' … Then why don't you let Turkey in the EU?'

The EU wants Mr Erdogan to co-operate on improving the lives of Syrian refugees – including giving them the right to work – in the hope it encourages them to stay put.

They also want to co-ordinate border controls and get Turkey to clamp down on people-smugglers.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will travel to Ankara tomorrow, said Turkey's aid demand had been discussed and seemed reasonable.

Some 10 million people have been forced from their homes in Syria, with around 600,000 arriving in Europe

French President Francois Hollande said Turkey would need to implement a deal to take back from Europe failed asylum seekers, as a condition of getting visas. Turkish foreign minister Feridun Sinirlioglu yesterday insisted the agreement was still a draft.

Turkey's accession to the EU has been barred for decades over its human rights record and security fears, but Mr Erdogan was able to force officials to the negotiating table because of the migration crisis.

Guy Verhofstadt, leader of Liberal group Alde in the European Parliament, yesterday warned the EU 'should not make ourselves dependent on a country which is becoming increasingly authoritarian'.

EU PROPOSALS ARE 'BORDERING ON INSANITY' WARNS NIGEL FARAGE EU plans to make it easier for Turkish nationals to get visas to travel to Europe have been described as 'madness' by Nigel Farage (pictured) EU plans to make it easier for Turkish nationals to get visas to travel to Europe, in return for Ankara's help in stemming the flow of Syrian refugees, have been denounced as 'madness' by Nigel Farage. The Ukip leader said the move was 'bordering on insanity' adding that 'agreeing to liberalise border requirements for 75 million Turkish nationals is a form of EU madness.' 'From a cost, security and cultural perspective, this is completely the wrong move. 'If Cameron and Co allow this to happen it's the British people who will be the turkeys at Christmas. Yet another reason to leave the EU.' It comes it emerged Britain could face a £260million bill as part of the deal to get Turkey to stem the flow of migrants into Europe. European Union officials yesterday reached a provisional agreement with the country that could offer up to 3billion euros (£2.2bn) of funding.‎ Last night it was unclear how the 3billion euros would be funded and over what period it would be paid. If it was sourced from general EU funds, Britain would contribute £260million share. Advertisement

The UN refugee agency yesterday warned there had been a sharp increase in migrant arrivals in Greece, with as many as 85 boats daily. It comes as the number of British-bound migrants living in a shanty town near Calais has doubled to almost 6,000, according to the region's senior official.

A Foreign Office spokesman said the action plan 'will ease the refugee burden on Turkey whilst preventing further uncontrolled migration to the EU', adding that the visa deal will not affect the UK.

Turkish military jets shot down an unidentified drone in the country's airspace near Syria yesterday. A US official claimed the drone was Russian, but Moscow strongly denied ownership.