Italy is a popular crossing point for migrants seeking to enter the European Union. (file)
Rome:
More than 1,000 migrants were brought to southern Italy on Saturday after the coastguard launched a major rescue operation to save three boats struggling in rough seas off Calabria.
A Coast Guard ship brought 584 people to the city of Reggio Calabria, while another towed a fishing boat carrying 487 migrants to the port of Crotone, close to the scene of the 26 February shipwreck, in which at least At least 74 people were killed.
Local officials said 200 more migrants had been picked up off the coast of Sicily and would be taken to Catania later in the day.
More than 4,000 people have arrived in Italy since Wednesday, compared with about 1,300 for the whole of March last year, as the country’s conservative government struggles to stem the influx despite repeated promises to stem the flow.
The coastguard dispatched eight boats on Friday for various rescue operations, while a naval patrol boat was also called in to prevent any repeat of last month’s disaster, when a migrant ship splashed a stone’s throw off the Calabrian coast. I went.
The body of a young girl was recovered on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 74. Sixty-nine people survived the shipwreck, but about 30 are still missing, presumed dead.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Italian authorities should have done more to prevent the disaster. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejected the suggestion and tried to pin the blame entirely on human traffickers.
His cabinet on Thursday introduced tougher prison terms for people smugglers and promised to open more channels for legal migration. Late last year, it cracked down on charity rescue boats, accusing them of acting as taxi services for migrants.
The measure drastically reduced the number of rescue ships patrolling North Africa, where most migrants travelled.
However, departures have increased dramatically, with around 17,000 migrants arriving in Italy by boat so far this year, compared with around 6,000 in the same period in 2022.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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