More than 10,000 refugees bound for Italy have been rescued in the Mediterranean in the last 48 hours in a series of more than 70 operations led by the Italian coastguard and navy. It was reported that 28 bodies had been recovered. The most recent rescue mission, in which 4,655 migrants were brought to safety, took place in the Strait of Sicily, and comprised 33 separate operations involving 27 rubber boats, one barge and five small boats. Italy’s neighbours to the north – Austria, France and Switzerland – have essentially closed off their borders to new migrants, creating political tensions and forcing Italy to process and possibly relocate asylum seekers on its own. Previously, the vast majority of migrants landing in Italy chose not to stay in and traveled north, often with Germany as a final destination.

Source: The Guardian October 05, 2016 10:40 UTC