Italian ministers havecalled for a six-month state of emergency in response to a surge in migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.
The decision means allocating 5 million euros for this purpose, and this coincides with the arrival of 3,000 migrants in three days.
A number of boats landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa, and the coast guard has rescued about 2,000 people since Friday so far.
The United Nations recorded the highest number of migrant deaths after 2017.
Its migration authority said it had recorded 441 deaths in the central Mediterranean in the first three months of 2023. It noted that delays in state-led rescue operations led to the death of at least 127 people, and in another fatal accident, the required response was not available.
At least four people were killed and more than 20 others are missing when two migrant boats sank off Tunisia on Saturday. German aid organization Reese QChip said it had rescued 22 people from the water and brought them to Lampedusa.
Tunisia has become the biggest departure point for migrant boats in recent months, and Saturday’s disaster was the latest in a series of incidents off the coast.
The number of immigrants arriving in Italy rose sharply compared to the same period last year, despite the efforts of Italy’s right-wing coalition government to crack down on irregular migration
