Over 1,000 migrants brought to safety at Italian ports

Over 1,000 migrants were brought to safety at two ports in Italy on Saturday (March 11) after the coastguard launched a major operation on Friday for three boats struggling in the rough seas off Calabria. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, one coastguard vessel brought 584 migrants to Reggio Calabria while another vessel with 487 migrants arrived at the port of Crotone, close to the scene of the February 26 shipwreck, which killed 74.

Speaking to the news agency, local officials said that further 200 migrants were picked up off the coast of Sicily and would be ferried to Catania later on Saturday.Since Wednesday, more than 4,000 people have reached Italy, compared to 1,300 people in all of March 2022.

The toll in the February 26 shipwreck has climbed to 74 after the body of a young girl was recovered on Saturday. Seventy-nine people migrants survived and 30 are still missing.

The tragedy has caused sharp criticism of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government. Apart from being criticised for its failure to intervene in time to save the boat, the government is also struggling to contain the influx of migrants, despite promising repeatedly to stem the flow.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Meloni held a cabinet meeting at Cutro, near the disaster site, and announced a new decree that included stiffer prison sentences for human traffickers. The cabinet also promised to open up more channels for legal migration. However, no new measures were introduced to help save lives.

In recent times, Italy has seen a spike in the number of migrants attempting to reach its shores via the dangerous Mediterranean crossing. According to interior ministry figures, over 17,500 people arrived by sea so far this year -- almost three times the number for the same period last year, the news agency AFP reported on Saturday.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE