Seven bodies were recovered and 484 people were rescued from boats in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to cross into Europe, Italy's coastguard said. But most arriving in Italy are from Sub-Saharan Africa or Bangladesh, and pay Libya-based smugglers to organise their passage. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 45,000 people have reached Italy by boat from North Africa this year - almost a 40 percent increase from 2016. The sea channel between Italy and Libya is the world's busiest and most dangerous sea migration route. "If we don't resolve southern Libya's problems, we will not resolve the migrant issue.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 14, 2017 16:30 UTC