This new drama comes days after Parliament voted on a controversial law on the conditions for rescuing migrants.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 2/26/2023 at 9:38 AM, updated 2/26/2023 at 10:39 AM
Forty migrants died after their boat sank at dawn not far from the Italian town of Crotone in Calabria (south), media reported on Sunday. The search is still ongoing in a sea made difficult for rescuers by large waves.
Italian firefighters confirmed on Twitter that they had recovered 28 bodies, while three others were said to have been swept away by ocean currents from the boat, which Italian media said contained 150 to 250 people. According to the fire department, around 40 people were also saved.
This content is not accessible to all.
According to agency AGI, the migrants’ overloaded boat broke in two due to heavy seas, the source quoted as saying a firefighter involved in the rescue.
” ALSO READ – Migrants: Italy tries to ‘hinder’ rescues in Mediterranean, denounce NGOs
This umpteenth shipwreck comes just days after Parliament passed controversial new rules on migrant rescue by the Giorgia Melonis-led government. The new law will force relief vessels to only conduct one rescue at a time, critics say increasing the risk of death in the central Mediterranean, considered the world’s most dangerous crossing for migrants.
Italy’s location makes it a top destination for asylum seekers crossing into Europe from North Africa, and Rome has long complained about the number of arrivals on its territory.