Military General Proposes Erecting Bridge Between Sicily and Tunisia
The controversial Sicilian General Antonio Pappalardo has proposed building a bridge spanning the Strait of Sicily to join the Italian island to north Africa.
Strait of Sicily
UN Migration Chiefs: The Mediterranean Is ‘Cluttered with Sunk Rubber Dinghies’
According to a new post by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Mediterranean Sea is one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes and is “cluttered with sunk rubber dinghies.”
Italy Set to Break Yearly Immigration Record in 2016
With more than 168,500 migrants landing on Italian shores since January and more pouring in every day, 2016 promises to break previous records for the number of migrants arriving on the peninsula.
Send New Migrants ‘Back to Africa,’ Says German Interior Minister
Germany’s Minister of the Interior has launched a controversial proposal to return seafaring African migrants home rather than bringing them to Italy, in order to discourage more people from attempting the dangerous crossing. Minister Thomas de Maizière said Sunday that
Shipwrecks Kill 240 Migrants off Libyan Coast
At least 239 migrants have drowned in two shipwrecks off the coast of Libya on Thursday, while during the same day rescuers saved more than 760 survivors in a series of operations.
Thousands More Migrants Arrive in Italy Over Weekend
Massive migration into Italy continues unabated, as some 6,100 migrants were rescued at sea over the weekend as they attempted to cross the Strait of Sicily from North Africa into Italy.
Italy Rescues 500 Migrants Off Libyan Coast, Recovers Eight Corpses
In the combined efforts of six separate rescue operations Monday, Italian Navy patrollers rescued some 500 migrants off the coast of Libya, as well as recovering eight lifeless bodies.
Warm Weather Brings Thousands More Migrants to Italy’s Shores
Favorable weather conditions have brought about a significant increase in the number of migrant-laden rafts and barges setting out from North Africa to Italy, with several thousand being rescued in the Strait of Sicily over the past two days.
7,100 More Migrants Rescued in Mediterranean Sea in Past Two Days
With a reprise of warm weather, record numbers of migrants have attempted crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa into Italy this week, with more than 7,000 migrants rescued and taken to southern Italy between Thursday and Friday.
More Than 4,000 More Migrants Rescued in Mediterranean Sea, Brought to Italy
The Italian Coast Guard announced that a total of 1,230 migrants had been rescued in the course of nine rescue operations in the Strait of Sicily on Sunday, bringing the total to more than 4,000 over the past four days.
Over 2,000 Migrants Rescued Off Libyan Coast, Taken to Italy
In a series of rescue operations, the Italian coast guard, flanked by vessels from other European organisations, rescued more than 2,000 migrants along the coast of Libya Thursday, and subsequently took them to southern Italian port cities to be registered
UN Chief Calls for Expansion of Legal Migration Routes into Europe
“Deeply saddened” by the loss of hundreds of lives of migrants trying to reach Europe by sea, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has praised the joint rescue operations of Italian and European forces, while calling for “a comprehensive and collective response” as well as “expanded legal pathways” for migrants to enter Europe.
Migrant Shipwreck Off Libya Leaves 7 Dead, 500 Rescued
In the latest tragedy in the Strait of Sicily an overloaded barge carrying more than 500 migrants capsized off the Libyan coast Wednesday, resulting in the drowning of at least seven of the passengers.
Italy Overtakes Greece As Prime Arrival Point for Migrants into Europe
Italy has surpassed Greece as the preferred entry point for migrants into Europe, with arrivals into Greece dropping by 90% between March and April and Italian immigration taking up the slack.
In Latest Migrant Disaster, 400 Drown in Massive Mediterranean Shipwreck
More than 400 drowned when a vessel crammed with migrants capsized early Monday morning during an attempt to make the crossing from Egypt to southern Italy across the perilous Strait of Sicily. The migrants were mostly Somalis, along with some
Massive Migrations Overwhelm Italian Coast Guard as African Exodus Steps into High Gear
An enormous wave of African migrants seeking to cross the Strait of Sicily into Italy this weekend has created a state of emergency for Italian rescuers, with the Coast Guard bringing in 3,690 refugees in a single day from 17
