A reported 8,918 migrants have
landed in Italy from January 1 through March 4 this year, a
significant increase from the 5,611 recorded in the same period
last year, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said
Thursday.
Gentiloni also noted that a total of 170,000 migrants
disembarked on Italian coasts in 2014 out of a total of 278,000
in the European Union.
Overall, 70,000 asylum requests were presented in Italy,
the country with the highest number of applications after
Germany and Sweden - up 140% on the previous year.
The European maritime patrol operation Triton was also
praised by Gentiloni for saving 23,000 immigrants from October
until January.
However, he added, "more can be done".
The death of 10 refugees this week has reignited debate
about the effectiveness of the Triton program, which is
coordinated by EU agency Frontex and replaced Italy's
better-funded Mare Nostrum (Our sea) search-and-rescue operation
last October.
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