Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called for an emergency European summit this week to address the worsening migrant crisis off Italy's southern coast after up to 950 men, women, and children were feared to have drowned in a shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea. With the crisis set to dominate a meeting of European Union foreign ministers, Renzi said concerted EU action was needed after the latest tragedy in which a heavily overloaded vessel capsized 60 miles north of Libya, leaving hundreds in the water. UN and coastguard officials reported that survivors spoke of up to 700 people being on the boat, though the exact number could not be confirmed as a dozen rescue boats continued searching for survivors.

1. Italianprime ministerMatteoRenzi saysEU actionmust be a priorityas deathtoll of drowningsthis
yearnow standsat 1,500 – 50 timesmore thanat same pointin2014
An infra-redscreengrabprovidedbythe Italiancoastguardduringthe operationtorescue the
migrants
An infra-redscreengrabprovidedbythe Italiancoastguardduringthe operationtorescue the
migrants.Photograph:Guardiadi Finanza/EPA
PatrickKingsleyinTripoli,StephanieKirchgaessnerinRome andAlessandraBonomoloinCatania
Monday 20 April 2015 07.21 BST Last modifiedonMonday20 April 2015 09.55 BST
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Italy’sprime ministercalledforanemergencyEuropeansummitthisweektodeal withthe
deepeningmigrantcrisisoff itssoutherncoastafterasmanyas 950 men,womenandchildrenwere
fearedtohave drownedina Mediterraneanshipwreck.
Withthe crisissetto dominate ameetingof EuropeanUnionforeignministersinLuxembourgon
Monday,Matteo Renzi saidthat concertedEU actionhad to be a priorityafterthe latesttragedy60
milesnorthof Libyainwhicha prodigiouslyoverladen vessel capsizedlate onSaturday,leaving
hundredsinthe water.
UN secretary-general BanKi-moonsaidgovernmentsworldwide shouldshow solidarityandtake in
more refugees,addinghe was“shockedanddeeplysaddened”byreportsof the latestshipwreck.
Governmentsmustnotonlyimprove rescue atseabutalso“ensure the rightto asylumof the
growingnumberof people worldwide fleeingwarwhoneedrefuge andsafe haven”,Banadded.
AmnestyInternational describedthe disasterasa predictable “man-madetragedy”.
AnalysisItisour antipathytowardsmigrantsthatkillsinthe Mediterranean

2. Despite thousandsof tragicdrownings,Europeanpoliticianswillstruggle tonavigate pastanti-
immigrationstatusquo
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UN and coastguardofficialssaidthatsurvivorsspoke of asmanyas 700 people beinginthe boat.The
numbercouldnotbe confirmedbutadozenrescue boatscontinuedtocombthe waters,lookingfor
survivors.
Italianofficialssaidthata Bangladeshi survivorflowntoSicilyfortreatment toldthem950 people
were aboard,includinghundredswhohadbeenlockedinthe holdbysmugglers.