2015-05-12 13:50:00

Migrants risk lives crossing Mediterranean by boat


(Vatican Radio) Last year, more than 190,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe by boat.  Upon arrival, 90% of those who applied for asylum were granted some form of protection, with the majority of the migrants arriving from Syria and Eritrea. 

On Monday, Peter Sutherland, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for International Migration and Development, spoke at the UN security council convoked to discuss the situation.

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Not everyone who attempts to reach Europe from Africa survives the crossing, last year the journey claimed 3,500 lives.  This year over 1,800 people have already perished, and there are predictions that if there are no changes, the death toll could rise as high as ten thousand to twenty thousand.  








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