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The numbers crossing borders need to be slashed immediately, warned a top official.

Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, said if action is not taken, “there is risk the whole system will completely break down”.

He told a meeting in Brussels: “The unity of the union and human lives are at stake.

“The possibility of a humanitarian crisis on a large scale is very real. It is there.”

The crisis has worsened since EU countries started to restrict the numbers claiming asylum each day.

It has caused a huge backlog in Greece, where many migrants arrive from the Middle East and north Africa.

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The Greek government has now threatened to block future EU agreements if other member states don’t help them out.

EU leaders will be meeting on March 7 in another attempt to thrash out a deal.

Meanwhile, bulldozers are set to roar into the Calais Jungle camp in just two days’ time to evict thousands of refugees who want to come to Britain.

Demolition squads are expected to flatten part of the rat-infested tent city on Monday after a court in France gave the go-ahead.

Authorities yesterday sent social workers into the camp to encourage migrants to leave before they are forced out.

But buses laid on to transport the wouldbe asylum seekers to detention centres were leaving nearly empty as many chose to stay put.

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The French government insists the removal will be a “humanitarian operation” and that the camp will be evacuated “without the use of force”.

However, aid agencies say they fear as many as 3,500 migrants will be made homeless in the demolition and could set up camp elsewhere.

Rachel Robinson, of campaign group Liberty, said: “Many unaccompanied children will be affected by the bulldozers.

“This includes a significant number with family in the UK who could and should have their claims determined here.”

A judge ruled on Thursday that part of the camp near the French port should be cleared, apart from schools and places of worship.

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Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron said razing part of the camp was not the solution and wanted to be sure the refugees would be treated humanely during their eviction.

But British hauliers welcomed the court judgment.

The Freight Transport Association said disruption caused by migrants cost the UK freight industry an estimated £750,000 a day last year.

Some 6,000 migrants are sleeping rough in the Jungle hoping to get across the Channel into Britain, where they hope to claim asylum.