Dozens of dead refugees found on boats off Libya

Rescuers have saved about 3,000 refugees but found more than 50 dead on boats near the coast of Libya, according to the Italian coastguard.

Τουλάχιστον 50 μετανάστες νεκροί ανοιχτά της Λιβύης

Νέα ναυτική τραγωδία βόρεια των λιβυκών ακτών έλαβε χώρα, όπως αναφέρουν τα ιταλικά μέσα ενημέρωσης.

EU to triple funding for migrant search and rescue missions

The European Union is to triple the funding of its search and rescue mission in the Mediterranean to help cope with an upsurge in migrants trying to reach Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.

EU vows to fight new tactics by migrant smugglers

The EU vowed Jan. 2 to fight people smugglers' new tactic of abandoning "ghost ships" full of migrants off European coasts.
     
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said it was "following closely the events surrounding" the crewless Ezadeen merchant ship which had drifted toward Italy's southern shores with 450 migrants aboard before Italian sailors took control of it Friday.

Italy Ends, EU Begins Sea Rescue Mission. (The Operation Triton)

Italy has ended its Mediterranean sea rescue mission that has saved the lives of at least 100,000 migrants, mainly from Africa and the Middle East.

The Mare Nostrum, or Our Sea mission, closed Friday, to make way for the European Union's new search and rescue mission for migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. Triton, the EU operation, began Saturday.

The Italian operation started a year ago after a shipwreck left more than 350 men, women and children dead near the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.