Urgent meeting of EU ministers called after tragic new turn in migrant crisis
- 9 years ago
As if things could not get any worse, there is another tragic turn in the European migrant crisis.
As many as 700 are feared dead after a fishing boat packed with migrants capsized overnight off the Libyan coast. About 30 have been rescued.
It is reported there was panic on the vessel when people got up and rushed to one side to attract the attention of a passing ship.
In the past week alone more than 13,000 migrants from war zones in Africa and the Middle East have been rescued attempting to reach Europe.
Reacting to news of the latest capsize,
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said: “Every day in the Mediterranean we’re witnessing a massacre, the pain of so many people that we’re turning a blind eye to.”
There is pressure on European leaders, with growing calls for more coordinated EU action.
Francois Hollande, the French President, said on Sunday: “It does concern us. The Mediterranean is our common sea, between Africa and Europe, so we must act.
“I have asked f
As many as 700 are feared dead after a fishing boat packed with migrants capsized overnight off the Libyan coast. About 30 have been rescued.
It is reported there was panic on the vessel when people got up and rushed to one side to attract the attention of a passing ship.
In the past week alone more than 13,000 migrants from war zones in Africa and the Middle East have been rescued attempting to reach Europe.
Reacting to news of the latest capsize,
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said: “Every day in the Mediterranean we’re witnessing a massacre, the pain of so many people that we’re turning a blind eye to.”
There is pressure on European leaders, with growing calls for more coordinated EU action.
Francois Hollande, the French President, said on Sunday: “It does concern us. The Mediterranean is our common sea, between Africa and Europe, so we must act.
“I have asked f