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Europe migrant crisis: 400 people still stranded on boat Europe migrant crisis: Italian state of emergency to tackle migrant boats
(about 7 hours later)
The Italian coastguard approaches a boat carrying migrants in the Ionian Sea on 10 AprilThe Italian coastguard approaches a boat carrying migrants in the Ionian Sea on 10 April
Four hundred people on board a fishing boat off the coast of southern Italy are yet to be rescued, more than two days after activists raised the alarm. Italian ministers have called a six-month state of emergency in response to a rise in migrant numbers crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.
The boat, which is believed to have set out from Tobruk in Libya, was being escorted by the Italian coastguard on Tuesday. The decision frees up €5m (£4.4m) in funds and coincides with the arrival of 3,000 migrants in three days.
But the situation on board remains "dramatic", an unofficial hotline for migrants in distress said. A number of boats have landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa and the coastguard has rescued some 2,000 people since Friday.
Italy's coast guard said difficult sea conditions were affecting the rescue. Four hundred people on a fishing boat off the coast are yet to be helped.
The boat is one of two vessels carrying migrants currently being assisted by the Italian coastguard. The second is carrying around 800 people. Migrant arrivals to Italy have risen sharply compared with the same period last year, despite efforts by Italy's right-wing coalition government to clamp down on irregular migration.
The country's coastguard has already rescued around 2,000 people in other operations since Friday, after a number of boats arrived at the Italian island of Lampedusa, one of the main arrival ports for people wanting to reach Europe, over the weekend. At least four people died and more than 20 others were missing when two migrant boats sank off Tunisia on Saturday. German aid group ResQship said it rescued 22 people from the water and took them to Lampedusa.
At least two migrants died and around 20 others were missing after their boat sank on Saturday night, German non-profit ResQship said. Tunisia has become the biggest point of departure for migrant boats in recent months and Saturday's disaster was only the latest in a series of incidents off the coast. Lampedusa is 185km (115 miles) from the Tunisian port of Sfax.
The boat carrying 400 people was last located by Alarm Phone in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Sicily on Tuesday. Sea and Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci spoke of a 300% increase in migrant flows and said it was an "absolute emergency" that had put Italy's infrastructure at risk. "We are talking about a phenomenon never seen in the past. The islands alone cannot deal with this state of emergency,"
"Despite seeing rescue assets, which are escorting them, the situation on board is dramatic," hotline Alarm Phone said. "[People on board] report several medical emergencies, water filling the vessel and no fuel left." The state of emergency would not solve the problem, the minister stressed. It required a responsible intervention by the European Union.
Besides extra funding, it is unclear how the Italian measure will tackle rising numbers in the Mediterranean, but reports say officials will be able to speed up reception procedures and repatriation of those not allowed to remain in Italy.
The Italian coastguard has been escorting two boats in the Ionian Sea off Sicily.
One of the boats carrying 400 people is believed to have set out from Tobruk in Libya and the coastguard said difficult sea conditions were affecting the rescue.
It was last located by an unofficial hotline for migrants called Alarm Phone in the Ionian Sea east of Sicily on Tuesday. "[People on board] report several medical emergencies, water filling the vessel and no fuel left," the hotline said, describing the situation as dramatic.
A second boat also under coastguard escort is carrying around 800 people. It is unclear where the boat set out from and the Italian coastguard said it was overcrowded.
An urgent alarm was first raised with the authorities of Italy, Greece and Malta on Sunday when the boat was found adrift in Maltese waters, Alarm Phone said.An urgent alarm was first raised with the authorities of Italy, Greece and Malta on Sunday when the boat was found adrift in Maltese waters, Alarm Phone said.
German non-governmental organisation Sea-Watch International said two merchant vessels near the boat had been ordered not to help with rescue efforts by Malta while the boat was in Maltese waters. Instead, one of the ships had been allowed to supply it with fuel and water.German non-governmental organisation Sea-Watch International said two merchant vessels near the boat had been ordered not to help with rescue efforts by Malta while the boat was in Maltese waters. Instead, one of the ships had been allowed to supply it with fuel and water.
The Armed Forces of Malta told The Malta Independent that "no rescue was requested by the people on board". In reaction, Alarm Phone tweeted that it had sent 21 emails to Maltese authorities to request a rescue operation. "We also called and asked for rescue, only to be hung up on," it added. The Armed Forces of Malta told The Malta Independent that "no rescue was requested by the people on board".
The boat then drifted into Italian waters and was thought to be near the coast of Syracuse on Tuesday. According to monitoring group IOM Missing Migrants Project, more than 26,000 people have died or gone missing at sea in the Central Mediterranean since 2014.
Italy's coastguard said on Tuesday that prohibitive sea conditions meant the rescue operation was still ongoing.
It added that was also true of the second boat carrying around 800 people, which was said to be overcrowded. It is not clear where the boat set out from.
Migrant arrivals to Italy have risen steeply compared with the same period last year, despite efforts by the right-wing coalition government to clamp down on irregular migration.
According to monitoring group IOM Missing Migrants Project, more than 26,000 people have died or gone missing at sea in the central Mediterranean since 2014.
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Europe migrant crisisEurope migrant crisis
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