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Mediterranean escape route claims 260 migrants in one weekend Mediterranean escape route claims 260 migrants in one weekend
(7 months later)
More than 260 people were feared to have lost their lives in the Mediterranean sea at the weekend as two more tragedies on the perilous route from north Africa to Europe prompted Rome to warn Brussels it would not be able to continue a €9m-a-month search-and-rescue mission indefinitely.More than 260 people were feared to have lost their lives in the Mediterranean sea at the weekend as two more tragedies on the perilous route from north Africa to Europe prompted Rome to warn Brussels it would not be able to continue a €9m-a-month search-and-rescue mission indefinitely.
The Italian navy said on Sunday that it had recovered 18 bodies – all men – during the rescue of a boat in trouble on Saturday night from which it had managed to rescue 73 survivors. "Some of the migrants said there were more people [on board originally]," Marco Bilardi, captain of the Sirio patrol vessel, told SkyTG24, but he could not confirm reports that a further eight people were missing.The Italian navy said on Sunday that it had recovered 18 bodies – all men – during the rescue of a boat in trouble on Saturday night from which it had managed to rescue 73 survivors. "Some of the migrants said there were more people [on board originally]," Marco Bilardi, captain of the Sirio patrol vessel, told SkyTG24, but he could not confirm reports that a further eight people were missing.
On Friday night, another packed boat thought to have been heading for Italy sank half a mile off Libya. Coastguard official Mohammad Abdellatif said more than 250 people may have died. "We believe there are still more than 250 bodies trapped," he told Reuters. "When we went underwater, we discovered that the boat is a lot bigger than we thought." On Friday night, another packed boat thought to have been heading for Italy sank half a mile off Libya. Coastguard official Mohammad Abdellatif said more than 250 people may have died. "We believe there are still more than 250 bodies trapped," he told Reuters. "When we went underwater, we discovered that the boat is a lot bigger than we thought."
The deaths came during a frantically busy weekend for the Italian navy and coastguard, which have been carrying out a search-and-rescue mission in the Mediterranean called Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) ever since more than 360 people drowned off Lampedusa last October.The deaths came during a frantically busy weekend for the Italian navy and coastguard, which have been carrying out a search-and-rescue mission in the Mediterranean called Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) ever since more than 360 people drowned off Lampedusa last October.
In a message posted on Twitter, the navy said that more than 3,500 people had been brought to shore since Friday. The Sirio was due to arrive in Sicily on Sunday evening with the 18 victims on board as well as 266 migrants. In a message posted on Twitter, the navy said that more than 3,500 people had been brought to shore since Friday. The Sirio was due to arrive in Sicily on Sunday evening with the 18 victims on board as well as 266 migrants.
Recognising that most people paying smugglers to pack them into often unseaworthy vessels to get to Europe are fleeing war, lawlessness and humanitarian strife in countries across Africa and the Middle East, the Italian government has remained adamant that its "military-humanitarian mission" in the Mediterranean is morally right. However, it has repeatedly called for more EU help running the operation. The interior minister, Angelino Alfano, reiterated a warning on Sunday that Italy could not "get to the second anniversary" of Mare Nostrum if the project remained funded by Italy alone.Recognising that most people paying smugglers to pack them into often unseaworthy vessels to get to Europe are fleeing war, lawlessness and humanitarian strife in countries across Africa and the Middle East, the Italian government has remained adamant that its "military-humanitarian mission" in the Mediterranean is morally right. However, it has repeatedly called for more EU help running the operation. The interior minister, Angelino Alfano, reiterated a warning on Sunday that Italy could not "get to the second anniversary" of Mare Nostrum if the project remained funded by Italy alone.
"The worse the problem of the Mediterranean border becomes, the more it becomes clear that Mare Nostrum must be replaced by a European action," he told Corriere della Sera."The worse the problem of the Mediterranean border becomes, the more it becomes clear that Mare Nostrum must be replaced by a European action," he told Corriere della Sera.
"Illegal immigration, but also and above all the flight from wars and persecutions … are not an Italian issue: the migrants want to go to Europe. Mare Nostrum was born as an operation … after the Lampedusa tragedy. But we cannot get to the second anniversary on 18 October 2015. Either the question is taken in hand by Europe or Italy will have to make its own decisions.""Illegal immigration, but also and above all the flight from wars and persecutions … are not an Italian issue: the migrants want to go to Europe. Mare Nostrum was born as an operation … after the Lampedusa tragedy. But we cannot get to the second anniversary on 18 October 2015. Either the question is taken in hand by Europe or Italy will have to make its own decisions."
A spokesperson for Cecilia Malmström, the European commissioner for home affairs, told the Ansa news agency that she would meet Alfano in coming weeks "in order to better define the priorities and provide help".A spokesperson for Cecilia Malmström, the European commissioner for home affairs, told the Ansa news agency that she would meet Alfano in coming weeks "in order to better define the priorities and provide help".