Italy crisis over 4,000 migrants in 2 days

ITALY has rescued more than 4,000 migrants from boats trying to reach Europe in the past two days, its government has said.

The emergency comes as Italy’s interior minister, Angelino Alfano, warns that more than half a million migrants are ready to set sail from North Africa, calling on the EU to address the ‘glaring’ crisis.

So far this year 15,000 migrants have landed on the Italian coastline, a ten-fold increase on the first three months of 2013. British experts believe one in five continue on to the UK.

Italy’s southernmost island, Lampedusa, has been described as a ‘gateway’ for illegal migrants to enter Europe. More than 40,000 people made the journey to Italy last year, often in unseaworthy boats. Mr Alfano told Italian radio yesterday: ‘The landings are non-stop and the emergency is increasingly glaring.

‘Right now two merchant ships are rescuing two boats with 300 and 361 people aboard ... there’s at least one corpse on board. Europe must take the situation in hand.’

Human traffickers, who reap vast profits from the boatloads of migrants, use satellite phones to send requests for help just 30 to 40 miles away from the Libyan coast, he said.

One Italian Navy ship, the San Giorgio, was called to the rescue of four overcrowded boats holding around 1,000 people, including women and children, who did not have life jackets. The other 3,000 migrants were rescued by a combination of coastguard boats, patrol vessels and merchant ships.

On Tuesday Mr Alfano called an emergency summit with police, Navy and coastguard officials who patrol Italy’s border.

Illegal migrants landing in the EU have to remain in the country where they first seek asylum. But many hope to pass through Italy undetected to northern Europe, which has better job prospects and generous benefits.

In the wake of a tragic shipwreck last year in which more than 300 migrants died, Italy has called for a pan-European search-andrescue force to intercept the boats.