There are fears the migrant crisis could break theEU apart

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In a grim warning for European leaders, Jean Asselborn claimed a growing backlash against the surge from Africa and the Middle East was breeding divisions and tension that could lead to “real war.”

“The European Union can break apart. This can go incredibly fast, when isolation instead of solidarity becomes the rule internally and externally. We may have only a couple of months,” he said.

Mr Asselborn feared that the Schengen area of no border checks on mainland Europe was under threat from growing calls for re-imposing border controls.

“If we do not find a European solution for the migration crisis, if more and more countries believe that they can approach the issue only nationally, then Schengen’s dead,” he said.

“The risk is clearly there.”