More than 3,800 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean since Friday

The images are repeated endlessly: migrants, from North Africa, landing on Italian shores in the hope of a better life. About 600 of them arrived Tuesday in the Sicilian port of Porto Empedocle, having been rescued at sea by the Italian coast guard and merchant vessels.

The institutional disorder in Libya, added to the mild weather of recent days, foster clandestine crossings. Since Friday, no less than 3,800 people were rescued at sea and delivered to the different shelters. That of the small island of Lampedusa is overcrowded He currently hosts more than 1,200 migrants, triple its capacity. Among them, many women and children.

This massive influx, which occurs in the heart of winter, raising fears of new tragedies. Last year, more than 3,400 illegal immigrants died trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean.