Italy Rescues Survivors from Boat Wreck Originating in Libya

Italian authorities transported 17 migrants to their shores on Monday after they were rescued following the latest deadly incident of boat sinking in the Mediterranean, amid criticism of Italy's handling of the crisis. The Italian news agency ANSA reported that the rescued individuals were taken to the town of Pozzallo in Sicily and that they were all from Bangladesh. The Italian Coast Guard stated that they believe 30 people perished after a boat they were on capsized while departing from Libya in bad weather. This tragedy follows the sinking of another boat on February 26 near Calabria in southern Italy, which claimed the lives of at least 79 people. The charity initiative "Alarm Phone," which receives distress calls from migrant boats, held Italy responsible for the incident due to its reluctance to send the Coast Guard despite being informed multiple times that the boat was in trouble. In a statement on Sunday evening, they noted, "It is clear that the Italian authorities were trying to evade bringing people to Italy and delayed intervention until the so-called Libyan Coast Guard arrived to forcibly return people to Libya."