As a result of the collapse of the vessel with illegal migrants trying to cross Africa to Europe, 6 people died in the Mediterranean Sea, 40 are missing, 10 managed to save.
According to the ANSA Italian Agency, the Italian financial police and the Italian coast guard were saved by 10 people (6 men and 4 women) from the overlined ship with migrants off the coast of Lampion Island, located west of the lampsausa. The bodies of 6 dead were also discovered.
Italian security services continue to search and rescue operations.
According to the stories of migrants, a ship with 56 passengers on board set sail from the city of Sfax in Tunisia on March 16.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Italy, from January 1 to March 18, the number of illegal migrants who arrived in the country through the Mediterranean Sea amounted to 8,743 people. In the same period last year, this indicator was 8,630 people.
According to the International Migration Organization (IOM), from the beginning of the year to March 17, 140 migrants went missing in the Central Mediterranean.
-Thelm of illegal migration through the Central Mediterranean
The route through the Central Mediterranean passing between Italy, Malta, Libya and Tunisia in recent years has become one of the most active areas of illegal migration to Europe.
As a rule, migrants set off on the shores of North Africa, and then, ending in the sea, give distress signals. On this route, humanitarian organizations often come to the rescue earlier than official European services.
However, non-governmental organizations are faced with difficulties when landing saved migrants due to the refusal of the European Union to provide them with “safe ports”.
In addition, since 2023, new legislative restrictions that complicate the work of rescue missions entered into force in Italy.
Lampeduza, which is the territory of Italy closest to North Africa, remains the main point of arrival for migrants who managed to cross the Mediterranean Sea independently or saved in the sea.
However, the overload of vessels, lack of water, air, as well as poisoning with exhaust gases become the causes of deaths of hundreds of migrants annually while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.