Italy to Cease Missions to Save Migrants Crossing Mediterranean
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iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(ROME) — Italy announced on Friday it will stop conducting search and rescue missions to save migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
Since January, naval patrols between Italy and North Africa have saved more than 150,000 people in rickety boats escaping war and violence. But Italy says it can no longer afford the $11 million a month operation and will stop it at the end of the year.
The European Union is set to start its own patrols on Saturday, but human rights groups say it’s not big enough to replace the Italian rescue mission and that thousands more lives could be lost.
The E.U. has also had trouble getting member countries to contribute to the new mission. Britain says it won’t be part of it because the patrols will only encourage more migrants to risk the dangerous crossing.
So far this year, more than 3,300 people have drowned trying to make it to Italy.
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