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Lampedusa migrants: EU chief and Italy PM heckled on visit Italy to hold state funeral for shipwreck migrants
(about 1 hour later)
Italy's prime minister and the European Commission president have been heckled on a visit to the island of Lampedusa. Italy is to hold a state funeral for the hundreds of migrants who died after their boat capsized close to the island of Lampedusa last Thursday.
Enrico Letta and Jose Manuel Barroso are on the island following one of Italy's worst migrant boat disasters. At least 274 people died when their boat capsized and sank last week. Prime Minister Enrico Letta made the announcement during a visit to the island with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
Residents shouted "disgrace" and "shame" as the men began their visit. Mr Barroso pledged 30m euros ($40m) of EU funds to help refugees in Italy.
Lampedusa is a key destination for boats carrying migrants who want to leave Africa and head to Europe. At least 274 people, mostly from Eritrea and Somalia, died in the capsize. Divers are recovering bodies.
Many residents in Lampedusa have long complained that the authorities in Italy and the European Union have not been doing enough to deal with the thousands of migrants who come ashore each year. Of more than 500 people on board, only 155 have survived.
A boat carrying 500 migrants - most from Eritrea and Somalia - capsized last Thursday about 1km (half a mile) from Lampedusa. It is one of Italy's worst disasters involving a boat carrying migrants who want to leave Africa and head to Europe.
There were 155 survivors, and 274 bodies have been found. Divers are still searching for those who remain missing. Lampedusa is a key destination for such boats and many residents have long complained that the authorities in Italy and the European Union are not doing enough to deal with the thousands of migrants who come ashore each year.
Search and patrol 'Reason for hope'
A small group of activists and local residents gathered at the airport as Mr Letta and Mr Barroso arrived in Lampedusa. Mr Barroso and Mr Letta visited the temporary mortuary holding the coffins of the victims and met survivors and those who had helped in the rescue.
They shouted "shame", "disgrace" and "killers" as the men walked from their plane. The two men were heckled on their arrival in Lampedusa, with shouts of "disgrace" and "killers".
Speaking at a joint news conference, Mr Barroso said he would never forget the sight of hundreds of coffins.
"It's something, I think, one cannot forget: coffins of babies, coffins of a mother and a child that was born at that moment," he said.
"This is something that profoundly shocked me."
Mr Barroso said he also met survivors who retained hope, and it was now the duty of the European Union "to give reason for that hope".
He said 30m euros would help Italy to settle its refugees, and listed a range of measures the EU must undertake.
These include strengthening search and rescue efforts in the Mediterranean; dealing with the people smugglers; and working more closely with the countries from where the migrants are coming.
Mr Barroso and Mr Letta had been met by a small group of activists and local residents who shouted "shame", "disgrace" and "killers" as the men landed at the airport in Lampedusa.
"They should be ashamed of themselves. They should solve this humanitarian problem," one protester was quoted by Agence France-Presse news agency as saying."They should be ashamed of themselves. They should solve this humanitarian problem," one protester was quoted by Agence France-Presse news agency as saying.
Mr Barroso and Mr Letta are paying tribute to the victims of the shipwreck and meeting members of the emergency services, as well as refugees from Somalia, Eritrea and Syria. Key migrant routes to southern Europe
They are joined by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmstroem, who said on Tuesday she had called for the EU to launch Mediterranean-wide search and rescue patrols to intercept migrant boats. The 20m (66ft) boat that sank last Thursday with more than 500 migrants on board had set off from Libya and was close to Lampedusa when, according to survivors, the engine failed.
She said she planned to ask the EU's Frontex border agency to draw up a "concrete proposal" for an operation that would allow better tracking, identification and rescue of migrant boats.
Frontex currently helps Italy to intercept migrant boats, but the two EU operations in the southern Mediterranean have limited resources - a total of four ships, two helicopters and two planes.
The 20m (66ft) boat that sank last Thursday had set off from Libya and was close to Lampedusa when, according to survivors, the engine failed.
In order to attract attention from passing boats, a small fire was lit which caused the passengers to panic and move towards one side of the boat which led to the capsizing, the survivors said.In order to attract attention from passing boats, a small fire was lit which caused the passengers to panic and move towards one side of the boat which led to the capsizing, the survivors said.
Divers said they found dozens of bodies entwined together in the hull of the boat which lies about 47m (155ft) below the surface of the sea.Divers said they found dozens of bodies entwined together in the hull of the boat which lies about 47m (155ft) below the surface of the sea.
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