Italy’s Libya deal stems migrants

Migrant arrivals to Italy by sea fell by a third last year, the country’s interior ministry said yesterday.

The total in 2017 was 119,000, compared with 181,000 in 2016, it said.

Marco Minniti, the interior minister, said a deal with Libya offering aid for help in tackling peoplesmuggling gangs marked “a turning point” as arrivals by boat declined by two thirds year on year since July.