More than 4,000 migrants arrive in Europe by boat in just TWO DAYS as Italy says half a million are preparing to set sail from Africa
More than 4,000 migrants have arrived on Europe's shores by boat in the past two days, with the Italian government calling the crisis ‘increasingly glaring’.
The emergency comes days after Italy's Home Secretary Angelino Alfano warned that more than half a million migrants were ready to set sail from Northern Africa for Europe.
Italy's southernmost island, Lampedusa, is the gateway for illegal immigrants to enter Europe.
More than 40,000 people made the journey to Italy last year, often on unseaworthy boats.
So far this year 15,000 migrants have landed on the Italian coastline, a ten-fold increase on the first three months of 2013.
British experts believe one in five of them continue on to the UK.
Mr Alfano told Italian radio: ‘The landings are non-stop and the emergency is increasingly glaring.
'Right now two merchant ships are rescuing two boats with 300 and 361 people aboard.
'It appears there's at least one corpse on board’.
He added: ‘ Europe must take the situation in hand.’
The emergency comes days after Italy's Home Secretary Angelino Alfano warned that more than half a million migrants were ready to set sail from Northern Africa for Europe.
Italy's southernmost island, Lampedusa, is the gateway for illegal immigrants to enter Europe.
More than 40,000 people made the journey to Italy last year, often on unseaworthy boats.
So far this year 15,000 migrants have landed on the Italian coastline, a ten-fold increase on the first three months of 2013.
British experts believe one in five of them continue on to the UK.
Mr Alfano told Italian radio: ‘The landings are non-stop and the emergency is increasingly glaring.
'Right now two merchant ships are rescuing two boats with 300 and 361 people aboard.
'It appears there's at least one corpse on board’.
He added: ‘ Europe must take the situation in hand.’
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