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Immigration to Italy
A state of emergency has been declared in Sicily because of the large numbers of African migrants it has to deal with.
According to the Italian navy, almost 300 migrants have been rescued from two boats near the island of Lampedusa in the waters between Libya and Sicily.
The first, about 60 miles to the south of Lampedusa, was carrying 80 migrants, a navy statement said.
The second, said to be at danger of sinking was carrying 210 people.
It was 45 miles from the island.
A state of emergency has been declared in Sicily because of the large numbers of African migrants it has to deal with
The latest rescues come a day after Italy announced increased patrols following the deaths of hundreds of migrants sailing in overcrowded boats.
The migrants were all being transferred to Lampedusa, the navy said.
On Friday, at least 33 people died when their boat capsized between Malta and Lampedusa.
A week earlier, more than 350 migrants died in another shipwreck off the island, one of the deadliest such incidents in recent years.
Italy has previously called for EU help in dealing with the thousands of desperate migrants who wash up on its beaches every year.
Many are families fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East who hope for a better life in Europe.
The recent loss of life has led to further calls for EU action.
On Monday, Italian Defense Minister Mario Mauro said the country intended to triple its presence in the southern Mediterranean.
“We need strong action to stop these shipwrecks,” he told Italian newspaper Avvenire.
In addition to coastguard and border police vessels, the Italian navy currently has three ships supported by four helicopters patrolling the area. It can also call on two surveillance aircraft with night-vision capabilities.
According to the UN, some 32,000 migrants have arrived in Malta and Italy this year.
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A second migrant boat with more than 200 people on board has capsized off the Italian island of Lampedusa and a rescue operation is under way, officials say.
Italian and Maltese ships – backed by helicopters – are assisting at the scene.
At least 120 people are said to have been saved, but bodies have also been reportedly spotted in the water.
Last week more than 300 people drowned when a boat carrying African migrants sank off Lampedusa.
Last week more than 300 people drowned when a boat carrying African migrants sank off Lampedusa
Italy’s coast guard and Maltese officials said the boat capsized about 70 miles off Lampedusa on Friday.
The vessel was reportedly first spotted by the Maltese air force who then requested Italy’s help.
The Maltese authorities are co-ordinating the operation in the country’s territorial waters.
Italy’s Ansa news agency reports that bodies were seen in the water – but this has not been officially confirmed.
The nationalities of those on board the boat were not immediately known.
Lampedusa, which lies 180 miles off the coast of Africa, is a key destination for migrant vessels bound for Europe.
Last Thursday, more than 300 people – mostly Somalis and Eritreans – died when their boat sank near the island.
Only 155 people were rescued of more than 500 migrants.
Many of the island’s residents have long complained that EU and Italian authorities are not doing enough to deal with the thousands who come ashore.
Dozens more bodies have been recovered from the boat carrying African migrants that capsized close to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa on Thursday.
Thirty-eight bodies were freed from the hull, which divers had previously been unable to access. The official death toll now stands at 232.
Italian divers “unpacked a wall of people”, a navy officer said, adding that corpses were “so entwined one with the other” they were difficult to pull out.
There were 155 survivors of the accident, which happened about 1km (half a mile) offshore.
The operation to recover bodies from the hull was abandoned for the night, but will resume on Tuesday.
Tens of thousands of migrants attempt the perilous crossing from North Africa to Sicily and other Italian islands each year, and accidents are common – but last week’s shipwreck was among the deadliest on record.
Dozens more bodies have been recovered from the boat carrying African migrants that capsized close to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa
The wreck is lying about 155ft below the surface, which means the recovery divers can only stay on the bottom for a short time.
All the bodies around the ship and on deck have been brought to the surface, police say, however dozens more are thought to remain inside the vessel.
“I’m sure that the most difficult part of the operation is starting now. Technically it will be much more challenging,” Coast Guard diver Rocco Pilon told Reuters news agency.
Navy Captain Paolo Trucco said that debris had to be removed from the passageways leading to the hull.
“Mattresses, blankets, stairs. Anything that would float. Imagine if you put a house in a centrifuge and you see what winds up in the air. That is what happened,” Paolo Trucco told the Associated Press.
“Some [bodies] we have found with their arms outstretched. We try not to notice this kind of thing too much, otherwise the task is too difficult,” said police diver Riccardo Nobile.
“We can see a woman’s hair floating out of a broken porthole. But we haven’t been able to get to her.”
The 66ft boat was carrying more than 500 people, mostly from Eritrea and Somalia.
The survivors are to be placed under investigation for “clandestine immigration”, as provided for by a controversial immigration law pushed through by right-wing parties in 2002.
The offence carries a 5,000-euro ($6,780) fine.
Italy has said it will amend its immigration laws. The authorities have denied allegations that they were slow to mount a rescue.
France has called for an urgent EU meeting after Italy requested help to deal with the influx of migrants.
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Italian coast guard has denied that it was slow to respond to the sinking of a boat carrying African migrants off the island of Lampedusa this week.
The accusations were made by a fisherman who took part in the rescue and a local newspaper.
So far, 111 bodies have been recovered, and 155 people survived, but about 200 are still unaccounted for.
High winds have prevented divers from reaching the boat, restricting rescuers to an aerial search.
France has called for an urgent meeting of EU states following the tragedy.
“European political officials must talk, and soon,” said French PM Jean-Marc Ayrault.
“It is up to them to meet to find a proper solution; compassion is not enough.”
Tens of thousands of migrants attempt the perilous crossing from North Africa to Sicily and other Italian islands each year, and accidents are common – but this week’s shipwreck was among the deadliest on record.
Italian coast guard has denied that it was slow to respond to the sinking of a boat carrying African migrants off the island of Lampedusa
The survivors are to be placed under investigation for “clandestine immigration”, as provided for by a controversial immigration law pushed through by right-wing parties in 2002.
Italy has said it will amend immigration laws and has called for European help.
Italian members of parliament have complained that some of its provisions discourage people from helping migrants in distress.
The fisherman who arrived first at the site of the accident, Vito Fiorino, has accused the coast guard of wasting time by filming footage of rescue efforts.
“They refused to take on board some people we’d already saved because they said protocol forbade it,” Vito Forino was quoted as saying by Ansa news agency.
A report in local newspaper La Sicilia said two boats belonging to Italy’s Financial Guard, which carries out a range of police and rescue duties, had remained in port.
The coast guard denied that there was any delay in its rescue effort.
“After we received the alarm by radio at 07:00 we immediately intervened without boats, arriving on at the site of the shipwreck at 07:20,” it said in a statement.
Judicial authorities said they had no evidence of delays.
The head of a fishermen’s association, Toto Martello, denied in turn reports that three fishermen drove straight past the scene of the accident.
“The fishermen save lives,” he told Ansa.
“We rebut the accusations that we didn’t help people who were dying at sea.”
Other fishermen said there were so many migrant boat wrecks near Lampedusa that they damaged their nets every time they went out.
“Only now they become aware of this situation?” said Salvatore D’Ancona.
“It’s been 20 years that this is happening.”
The fishermen laid a wreath of flowers at sea, with some 10 fishing vessels blowing their horns for the victims.
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At least 50 people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank off near Lampedusa, southern Italy, reports say.
Rescue operations are continuing and officials warn the toll may rise.
At least 50 people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank off near Lampedusa, southern Italy
Passengers reportedly threw themselves into the sea as the vessel got into trouble and Italian officials were quoted as saying that dozens of people were still in the water.
There are reports that a fire broke out on board, before the boat sank.
Local media reports say that at least one child and a pregnant woman are among the dead.
Earlier this week, 13 migrants drowned while trying to reach the coast of Sicily.
