| Author (Corporate) | BBC |
|---|---|
| Series Title | BBC News |
| Series Details | 12.10.13 |
| Publication Date | 12/10/2013 |
| Content Type | News |
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Malta's prime minister Joseph Muscat said on the 12 October 2013 that European waters close to Africa were turning into a cemetery, after another boat laden with migrants from Africa and the Middle East had capsized a day earlier in Maltese waters. It was the latest in a growing series of similar tragedies. Joseph Muscat said Malta felt 'abandoned' by the rest of Europe and urged the EU to take action to provide more practical assistance and to review migration rules. Supported by Italy, the southern island said the European Commission does not have the appropriate legal powers to lead search and rescue and disembarkation operations in the Mediterranean, urging for the EU to change its refugee policy. Subsequently, Italy's navy rescued about 300 migrants in the waters between Sicily and Libya on the 15 October 2013 as the Italian government deployed ships, helicopters and unmanned drones to help avert further shipwrecks that had already drowned hundreds in October 2013. On the same day the governor of Sicily declared a state of emergency because of the large numbers of migrants it was having to deal with. On the 25 October 2013, Italian authorities have intercepted some 800 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean, on the same day as EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss the problem. |
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| Source Link | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24502279 |
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, Italy, Malta, Southern Europe, Spain |
