EU's Timmermans warns of extreme right surge if migrant crisis not dealt with

LONDON (Reuters) - European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said on Thursday that unless the migrant crisis in Europe was addressed properly there would be a surge of right-wing extremism across the continent. Timmermans also said that there needed to be better protection of the European Union's borders to deal with the hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. "We have to make sure that those countries where people arrive are better placed to make sure people are registered, that people who don't have the right to asylum are returned swiftly," he told BBC radio. "If we're not able to tackle this issue, if we're not able to find sustainable solutions, you will see a surge of the extreme right across the European continent." His comments come after the EU leaders pledged at least 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) for Syrian refugees in the Middle East and closer cooperation to stem the migrant flows. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)