Forty immigrants, including a 1-month-old baby, died in a boat that sank at dawn yesterday near the Italian city of Crotone in the Calabria region, according to Italian media reports. Italian rescuers confirmed on Twitter that 28 bodies had been found, and sea currents carried three more bodies from a boat carrying 150 to 250 people, according to Italian media. Rescuers explained that they managed to save about forty people. The Italian Coast Guard is currently reluctant to comment in response to questions from Agence France-Presse. According to the Italian news agency AGI, an overloaded migrant boat broke in two due to strong waves. The disaster comes just days after the Italian parliament approved new rules for migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean, initiated by the far-right government.
Far-right Fratelli d’Italia leader Giorgia Meloni took over as Italian prime minister in October, promising to limit the number of migrants coming to Italy. The new law aims to reduce the number of people brought to ports by requiring NGOs to carry out one rescue operation per sea voyage. Critics of the law say it increases the risk of migrants dying in the Mediterranean, considered one of the most dangerous crossings in the world.
And the Italian interior ministry has announced the arrival of more than 14,000 immigrants in Italy since the beginning of the year, compared to about 5,300 in the same period last year and 4,300 in 2021.
Only a small percentage of migrants arriving in Italy are rescued by NGO ships, and most are rescued by the Italian coast guard or navy. But the government accuses the associations of encouraging immigration and smuggling of migrants through their activities.
