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Europe turning Mediterranean into 'cemetery', says Maltese PM Italy to triple Mediterranean naval and air units to address migrant safety
(about 2 hours later)
Europe is turning the Mediterranean into a "cemetery", the Maltese prime minister has warned, amid mounting calls for urgent EU action to prevent further migrant deaths on Europe's southern rim. Italy is to triple its air and sea presence in the Mediterranean between north Africa and Sicily in a bid to make it "as safe as possible" for migrants making the perilous journey in overcrowded rickety boats, prime minister Enrico Letta has said.
After a desperate week for refugees fleeing Africa on wretchedly unreliable vessels, Joseph Muscat said he would join others in calling for the crisis to be put on the EU's agenda at its summit on 24 October. Speaking after a fortnight during which at least 390 people lost their lives in disasters involving capsized vessels, Letta announced that Italy would on Monday launch a "military and humanitarian mission" in the part of the Mediterranean he said had been "turned into a tomb" in recent days.
"We will spend a lot of money. We will triple the naval and air units that are currently working in the Strait of Sicily," he was quoted by La Repubblica as saying on Saturday.
Italy has repeatedly called for co-ordinated action by the European Union to tackle the crisis on its doorstep, and the issue looks set to feature prominently at a summit on 24 October.
But, he said, the issue needed to be tackled immediately and "we cannot wait for European decisions to be taken and acted on".
"We will work so that Europe tackles it but on the other hand we will immediately do our bit," he said.
"I can therefore announce that on Monday an Italian military and humanitarian mission will be launched – by sea and air – in order to make the part of the Mediterranean that in recent days has been transformed into a tomb as safe as possible."
Earlier, his Maltese counterpart, Joseph Muscat said Europe was turning the Mediterranean into a "cemetery" through its failure to deal with the migrant surge.
"I don't know how many more people need to die at sea before something gets done," Muscat told the BBC. "The fact is that as things stand, we are just building a cemetery within our Mediterranean Sea," he said. "Until now we have encountered statements, words but little more than that.""I don't know how many more people need to die at sea before something gets done," Muscat told the BBC. "The fact is that as things stand, we are just building a cemetery within our Mediterranean Sea," he said. "Until now we have encountered statements, words but little more than that."
Enrico Letta, the prime minister of Italy, which has borne the brunt of the migrant influx, told French radio on Saturday: "We cannot continue like this. We're in a situation where what's happening in North Africa, Eritrea, Somalia, Syria presents us with a real emergency." The interventions came after another 34 bodies were recovered from the latest stricken vessel that sank south of Sicily on Friday. More than 200 passengers were rescued. Meanwhile, a further 19 bodies were found in a boat that sank last week, bringing the death toll from that incident to 358.
The interventions came after another 34 bodies were recovered from the latest stricken vessel, which sank south of Sicily on Friday. More than 200 passengers were rescued. Meanwhile, a further 19 bodies were found in a boat that sank last week, bringing the death toll from that incident to 358. In a third shipwreck, another 12 migrants died when their boat foundered off the Egyptian coast.
Italian naval spokesman Commander Marco Maccaroni said his units also rescued some 180 people from other boats in the same area overnight in a further indication of the relentless flows of migrants braving the Mediterranean.Italian naval spokesman Commander Marco Maccaroni said his units also rescued some 180 people from other boats in the same area overnight in a further indication of the relentless flows of migrants braving the Mediterranean.
"The flows have never stopped, especially over the summer months," Maccaroni said. "The two accidents in such a short period have raised the attention of the public, but the tensions have been going on all summer.""The flows have never stopped, especially over the summer months," Maccaroni said. "The two accidents in such a short period have raised the attention of the public, but the tensions have been going on all summer."
More thann 30,000 migrants arrived in Italy and Malta in the first nine months of 2013, compared with 15,000 in all of 2012, according to the UN refugee agency. More than 30,000 migrants arrived in Italy and Malta in the first nine months of 2013, compared with 15,000 in all of 2012, according to the UN refugee agency.
The UN secretary-general, Ban-Ki-moon, called for action to prevent future tragedies "that places the vulnerability and human rights of migrants at the centre", while Pope Francis lamented that "too often we are blinded by our comfortable lives, and refuse to see those dying at our doorstep".The UN secretary-general, Ban-Ki-moon, called for action to prevent future tragedies "that places the vulnerability and human rights of migrants at the centre", while Pope Francis lamented that "too often we are blinded by our comfortable lives, and refuse to see those dying at our doorstep".
At least 70,000 Syrians are registered in Egypt as refugees. Many, including thousands of Palestinians who fled the war in Syria, are not registered and use the country as a stopover before making the perilous sea trip to Europe.At least 70,000 Syrians are registered in Egypt as refugees. Many, including thousands of Palestinians who fled the war in Syria, are not registered and use the country as a stopover before making the perilous sea trip to Europe.
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