UK Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel said the migrant crisis on Europe’s doorstep has returned to the headlines. In reality, it never went away; people are fleeing war, persecution, or just seeking a better life in unprecedented numbers, The Telegraph reported Monday.

Patel said that the pressure will grow unless we take urgent steps to address the drivers of this crisis. In Africa, 55,000 jobs will need to be created every day just to absorb new entrants into the workforce by 2035. If the economic aspirations of this young population cannot be met in their own countries, we will see more uncontrolled and unsustainable migration.

She said Britain is at the forefront of the response. We are taking immediate steps to protect our borders and tackle people smuggling. 

But the only way to resolve this crisis in the long term is to address the root causes. We need to create jobs across Africa and provide its growing population with a route out of poverty where they are, she added.