Migrant sea deaths rise after Italy port closures

ITALY’S decision to close its ports to rescued migrants is being blamed for a rise in deaths at sea.

Since taking power in June, the far-right League party has refused to allow charity rescue ships to dock.

Though arrivals are down 80 per cent from last year, the average number of deaths per day has risen to eight, according to Matteo Villa, a researcher at Italy’s ISPI think tank. It was 3.2 in the period between July 16, 2017 and May 31, 2018, when the previous government was in charge.

In September, nearly one in five migrants who attempted to reach Italy from North Africa perished – the highest monthly death rate recorded since 2012.