At least 30 migrants are missing following two shipwrecks over the weekend off the Italian island of Lampedusa – the latest tragedy involving migrant boats crossing to Europe. In Italy, rescuers helped dozens of people to safety following the disaster, but the bodies of a woman and young child were recovered from the water. The number of migrants trying to make it to Europe has surged over the last year, with many coming from sub-Saharan Africa, making the journey to Libya or Tunisia to try to cross the Mediterranean in extremely dangerous conditions, often in overcrowded boats. According to the UN, more than one hundred thousand migrants have made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean this year. More than 2,000 have died or gone missing. The vast majority of migrants who enter the European Union do so having first paid human smugglers. Traffickers are using ever more sophisticated methods to convince people to make the trip.
Migrant smuggling to Europe: Why it happens and how to stop it | DW News
