Ajit Karn
Rome: On Saturday, more than a 1000 migrants were taken ashore in southern Italy after coastguards launched significant rescue operations for three boats in distress off the coast of Calabria.
One coastguard vessel transported 584 people to the city of Reggio Calabria, while another escorted a fishing boat carrying 487 migrants into the port of Crotone, near to the site of a shipwreck that occurred on February 26 and claimed the lives of at least 74 people.
Local officials reported that an additional 200 migrants were rescued off the coast of Sicily and would be transported to Catania by ferry later in the day.
Since Wednesday, more than 4,000 people have arrived in Italy, compared to approximately 1,300 for the entire month of March in 2016, as the country’s conservative government struggles to contain the influx despite repeated promises to stem the flow.
The coastguard dispatched eight boats to various rescue operations on Friday, and a naval patrol boat was also despatched to prevent a repeat of last month’s calamity, in which a migrant ship broke apart a stone’s throw from the coast of Calabria.
On Saturday, the body of a juvenile girl was discovered, bringing the total number of fatalities to 74. 79 individuals survived the catastrophe, but approximately 30 are still missing and presumed deceased.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Italian authorities could have prevented the calamity more effectively. The suggestion was rejected by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who sought to place the entire culpability on migrant traffickers.
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Thursday, her cabinet enacted harsher penalties for people smugglers and pledged to expand legal migration channels. Late in the previous year, the government clamped down on rescue vessels, alleging them of serving as a taxi service for migrants.
The measure has drastically reduced the number of rescue ships patrolling off the coast of North Africa, where the vast majority of migrants set sail.
Nonetheless, departures have increased significantly, with approximately 17,000 migrants reaching Italy by sea so far this year, compared to approximately 6,000 during the same period in 2022.
