Nearly 6,800 migrants rescued over the weekend as warm weather and calm seas lead to big increase in attempted Mediterranean crossings
The number of migrants leaving Libya in attempts to cross the Mediterranean to Europe has dramatically increased in the past few days as people smugglers have taken advantage of warm weather and calm seas, VOA News reported today.
Over the weekend, nearly 6,800 migrants were rescued by the Italian navy and coast guard.
AFP reported that 16 vessels had rescued almost 3,500 people on Saturday alone in an operation coordinated from the Italian coast guard headquarters in Rome.
According to AFP, hundreds of migrants from Africa and Syria are now being rescued every day in the Mediterranean.
The rescues come in the wake of a decision by the EU to triple funding for its Operation Triton and strengthen the EU presence at sea after the deaths of over 1,200 migrants in April.
The Guardian reported today that at least 46 migrants died attempting to cross the Mediterranean in inflatable dinghies. Dramatic video captured one group of migrants abandoning an overcrowded, sinking dinghy in an attempt to be rescued by a passing commercial vessel.
According to the Guardian, Libyan smugglers admit that they drastically overload smaller boats in an attempt to make a bigger profit.
You can read an earlier Guardian in-depth investigation on people smugglers in Libya here.
One of the best-known smugglers in the Libyan port city of Zuwara told the Guardian: "There are smugglers who work for the pleasure of making money … But there are others like me who work for the pleasure of putting pressure on you [Europeans]."
According to VOA, Italy says that the number of migrants reaching its shores could reach 200,000 this year, and called for more European help in dealing with the influx.
"A European emergency cannot continue to have only Italian responses," Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said.
Humanitarian aid workers in Italy say many of the migrants have legitimate claims to asylum in Europe as they are fleeing conflict and repression in such countries as Syria and Eritrea.
As asylum applications rise, German chancellor Angela Merkel said recently that Europe needs new rules for distributing refugees based on the size of countries and the strength of their economies.
Deutsche Welle reported today that 85,400 people applied for asylum in Germany by the end of the first quarter of 2015, double last year's numbers for the same period.
Last year, Germany received 202,700 asylum applications, and the government has said this year's figure could be significantly higher.
"If we extrapolate the quarterly figures, we have to reckon with 300,000 to 400,000 asylum seekers," Germany's Development Minister said.