"The smugglers are really criminals. They sent migrants for the impossible, and also put the lives of rescuers in danger."
29 migrants died during their crossing of the Mediterranean, not drowning deaths, but cold!
They were part of a group of a hundred applicants for immigration Libyan parties on a dinghy, despite the bad weather. The sea was particularly disassembled, and near-zero degree temperatures.
When the Italian Coast Guard arrived at the craft level, several migrants had already died of hypothermia. And others died during the rest of the voyage on the deck of the stars of the Italian Navy.
"The smugglers are really criminals, deplores Giovanni Pettorino responsible coastguard. They send migrants for the impossible, and also put the lives of rescuers in danger. "
The European Union had developed in 2013 an operation called "Mare Nostrum" to help migrants across the Mediterranean. But this operation was abandoned by the Italian Government, partly because of the high cost (about € 114 million per year), supported by Italy.
"Mare Nostrum" has been replaced by an operation called "Triton" much lesser extent.
According to the Interior Ministry, over 3,500 migrants arrived in Italy just last month.
