| CNN | - |
(CNN)
As many as 30 migrants may have drowned when their boat sank off the
coast of Libya on Thursday, the European Union's anti-trafficking naval
operation said, a day after another boat capsized in the region, costing
five lives.
Dozens feared drowned as latest migrant boat sinks off Libya
Rescuers try to save migrants from a capsized boat off Libya on Wednesday. Another boat capsized Thursday.
Story highlights
- Italian cost guard rescues more than 4,000 migrants off Libyan coast Thursday
- Greek authorities clear overwhelmed Idomeni migrant camp on Macedonia border
(CNN)As
many as 30 migrants may have drowned when their boat sank off the coast
of Libya on Thursday, the European Union's anti-trafficking naval
operation said, a day after another boat capsized in the region, costing
five lives.
The European
Union's anti-trafficking naval force in the Mediterranean, known as
Operation Sophia, said there may be 20 to 30 fatalities from the latest
sinking in the Mediterranean Sea, about 48 to 64 kilometers (30 to 40
miles) off Libya.
The Italian coast guard said it could not confirm the fatalities, but said it rescued 96 people from the vessel.
Those rescued were among more than 4,000 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean in 22 locations Thursday, it said.
The latest fatalities came a
day after at least five migrants died off the Libyan coast when their
ship rolled and then capsized. The incident occurred when hundreds of
migrants rushed to the port side of the vessel as an Italian navy ship
approached.
Rescuers used dinghies, a helicopter and another navy ship to save more than 560 migrants.
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
Migrants climb a ladder to the deck of the Italian navy ship.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
Thousands of migrants have died in the Mediterranean when their ships broke up or capsized.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
The migrants are helped on board the ship after their own vessel sank.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
An Italian helicopter assisted in the rescue at sea. At least seven people died but 500 were rescued.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
The helicopter hovers above the water during the rescue operations.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
A
ship crowded with people fleeing conflict in the Mideast flips onto its
side Wednesday as an Italian navy ship approaches. Five people died and
500 were rescued.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
The ship was spotted Wednesday off the Libyan coast. Many people fleeing the Mideast on boats head to Italy.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
Migrants cling to the hull of the ship and float in the water as Italian sailors rescue them with life rafts.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
Italian sailors prepare to toss floatation devices into the water from their ship.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
A migrant uses a buoy to stay afloat in the water.
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
Migrants climb a ladder to the deck of the Italian navy ship.
Hide Caption
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10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
Thousands of migrants have died in the Mediterranean when their ships broke up or capsized.
Hide Caption
7 of 10
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
The migrants are helped on board the ship after their own vessel sank.
Hide Caption
8 of 10
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
An Italian helicopter assisted in the rescue at sea. At least seven people died but 500 were rescued.
Hide Caption
9 of 10
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
The helicopter hovers above the water during the rescue operations.
Hide Caption
10 of 10
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
A
ship crowded with people fleeing conflict in the Mideast flips onto its
side Wednesday as an Italian navy ship approaches. Five people died and
500 were rescued.
Hide Caption
1 of 10
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
The ship was spotted Wednesday off the Libyan coast. Many people fleeing the Mideast on boats head to Italy.
Hide Caption
2 of 10
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
Migrants cling to the hull of the ship and float in the water as Italian sailors rescue them with life rafts.
Hide Caption
3 of 10
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
Italian sailors prepare to toss floatation devices into the water from their ship.
Hide Caption
4 of 10
10 photos: Italian Navy saves migrants after boat overturns
A migrant uses a buoy to stay afloat in the water.
Hide Caption
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Shift in migrant route following EU-Turkey deal
The sinkings come as new figures reveal a dramatic recent shift in the migrant flow into Europe, with a surge of migrants entering Italy across the central Mediterranean.
The
latest International Organization for Migration figures show the
numbers of migrants entering Italy up 54% in the two weeks ending May
18, compared with the previous two weeks.
Over
the same period, migration to Greece -- the main entry point for the
bulk of illegal migrants into the European Union -- has dropped 67%.
Greece sending migrants back to Turkey 07:04
The organization attributes the change to a deal between Turkey and the European Union
to try to control migration through Turkey into Greece, which it said
has "brought migration flows through the Eastern Mediterranean and the
Western Balkan route to a standstill."
For
every Syrian sent back to Turkey under the plan, a vetted Syrian
refugee would go from Turkey to Europe to be resettled, with a cap of
72,000 people.
In return, the European Union would give additional funding to refugee-specific projects in Turkey and grant visa-free travel to Turkish nationals.
The
figures show there have been 174,395 irregular arrivals into Europe in
the first quarter of this year, more than eight times the number in the
same period last year.
However,
migration to Italy remains lower than it was at the same period a year
ago -- with the spike in arrivals into Greece earlier in the year
accounting for the much higher immigration numbers into Europe so far in
2016.
Greek migrant camp emptied
The
U.N. refugee agency confirmed Thursday that an overwhelmed migrant camp
on Greece's border with Macedonia has been completely cleared.
More
than 10,000 migrants had been staying at Idomeni camp, a facility only
equipped to house 2,400, with thousands stranded there in deteriorating
conditions since Macedonia shut its border in March, sealing shut the main immigrant route to Western Europe.
Conditions
at the camp were dire, with the U.N. refugee agency saying in March
that many residents, about 40% of whom were children, were suffering
from respiratory problems.
Greek officials have been relocating the residents to more organized facilities in other parts of the country.
Medical charity Doctors
Without Borders, which has been providing health care and psychological
support in the camp, condemned the clearance, and called on authorities
to provide migrants with more information about their destinations.
"People
are not being informed of where they are going and this is far from
acceptable," Michele Telaro, the group's project coordinator in Idomeni,
said in a statement.
"They need
to be able to make informed decisions, and they must be provided with
accurate information in order to do so. They have already fled conflict
and violence and spent more than two months living in unacceptable
conditions in Idomeni."
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