Lampedusa migrant crisis: Sicily declares emergency

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The governor of Sicily has declared a state of emergency because of the large numbers of migrants it is having to deal with.

The order will release funds for aid workers helping the now daily arrivals of hundreds of migrants from Africa and Syria.

Italian officials say 370 migrants were rescued from three boats in the waters between Libya and Sicily on Tuesday.

The migrants were all being transferred to the island of Lampedusa.

Italy has a nationwide civil protection service and the state of emergency means that they will be able to carry out their work of looking after the new arrivals more efficiently.

Lampedusa is swamped with new arrivals, so the efficient transfer of migrants to temporary accommodation in Sicily, which has better facilities to deal with the migrant emergency, has become essential, our correspondent adds.

The latest rescues come a day after Italy announced increased patrols following the deaths of hundreds of migrants sailing in overcrowded boats.

The migrants were all being transferred to Lampedusa, the navy said.

On Friday, at least 33 people died when their boat capsized between Malta and Lampedusa.

More from Staff Reporter

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Totally agree with avukat

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Ah those 'racist' Sicilians! How dare they declare a state of emergency? The islands receiving the brunt of migration are all 'racists': the northern Europeans who devise Dublin 2 and possible 3 (but Joseph is not naive as Simon) are humanitarian! Tell that to the marines!

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It looks like Malta will have to stand alone to absorb the burden of all immigrants that happens to be at sea from now on, unless we do the same and declare that Malta is in a state of emergency too. If Italy with it's vast territory can declare a state of emergency, why can't we do the same when we are a small island with a territory 50 times smaller then Cicily?

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It looks like Malta will have to stand alone to absorb the burden of all immigrants that happens to be at sea from now on, unless we do the same and declare that Malta is in a state of emergency too. If Italy with it's vast territory can declare a state of emergency, why can't we do the same when we are a small island with a territory smaller then Cicily?

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It looks like Malta will have to stand alone to absorb the burden of all immigrants that happens to be at sea from now on, unless we do the same and declare that Malta is in a state of emergency too. If Italy with it's vast territory can declare a state of emergency, why can't we do the same when we are a small island with a territory smaller then Lampedusa?

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On a comparative level Malta should declare a disaster.