Immigration rising significantly in Italy, says FM

(ANSA) - Rome, March 5 - 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.