At
least 80 migrants on board a boat traveling from North Africa to
Italy are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea
“A group of 27 migrants, who were rescued by the
Italian navy vessels over the weekend, said nearly 75 others were
also on board the boat when it went down.”
“The
Wednesday incident took place just days after dozens of others
suffocated in the hold of an overcrowded fishing boat there.”
“On
Sunday, Italian authorities announced that more than 1,600 migrants
had been rescued by the navy and coast guards over the weekend,
bringing the total number of migrants arriving on Italian shores in
2014 to above 60,000.”
“The
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) earlier called
on governments to provide legal alternatives so that desperate people
in need of refuge can seek and find protection and asylum.”
“The
UNHCR says 500 migrants and refugee seekers have lost their lives in
the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of 2014.”
“Over
the past years, Italy has been the scene of a number of tragedies for
African migrants in crowded boats who are seeking refuge in Europe.”
“In
October 2013, more than 300 migrants, mostly from Eritrea and
Somalia, were killed after their boat capsized off Lampedusa, located
halfway between Sicily and Tunisia.”
“During
the past 20 years, an estimated 17,000 to 20,000 migrants have
perished during the dangerous crossing, as they travel on badly
overcrowded fishing vessels or rubber boats.”
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