Over 10,000 African Migrants Fled to Italy This Week

Migrants who were rescued are seen after they disembark from the RBD cargo ship at Corigliano harbor, Italy, 15 April 2015. EPA/BGNES

The influx of refugees to Italy has drastically increased over the past few days, with most of them fleeing the civil war in Libya, according to the Italian Coast Guard.

Nearly 10,000 migrants have been rescued from boats sailing across the Mediterranean to Italy in the past four days alone, while another 900 are believed to have drowned while crossing, including 400 people aboard a boat that capsized on Monday. Almost 4,000 died on the journey in overcrowded boats across treacherous waters between Africa and Italy.

At least 31,500 migrants have entered Italy and Greece since the start of the year as increasing governmental instability and violence in Africa has prompted a surge in numbers fleeing to Europe.

With weather conditions improving, the Italian Coast Guard are bracing themselves for a rise in the number of illegal migrants arriving from Africa.

“Surely with such positive weather forecasts for the next few days, with a very calm sea, we are expecting further landings,” Euronews quoted Leopoldo Manna, Chief of the Coast Guard situation room, as saying on Friday.

According to Italian authorities, with the EU’s border patrol mission Triton underfunded, Italy has to finance the bigger part of the cost of sea patrol and rescue operations.

 

 

 

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