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Migrants Missing After Boat Capsizes Near Italian Island

   VOA News  April 06, 2011
   A Tunisian would-be immigrant walks past the Italian navy ship San
   Marco in the harbor of the Italian island of Lampedusa, March 30, 2011

Photo: AFP

   A Tunisian would-be immigrant walks past the Italian navy ship San
   Marco in the harbor of the Italian island of Lampedusa, March 30, 2011

   Italian authorities say 150 people are missing after a boat carrying
   North African migrants capsized in rough seas near an Italian island
   early Wednesday.
   The accident comes one day after Italy and Tunisia signed an agreement
   to curtail the influx of migrants heading to Italy for a better life.
   Italian coast guard officials say 47 people have been rescued south of
   the Italian island of Lampedusa.
   Thousands of migrants from Tunisia have arrived on Lampedusa in recent
   weeks. The migrants pay more than $1,000 for the dangerous night-time
   journey to the tiny Italian island, about half-way between Africa and
   Europe.
   Hundreds of people die from exhaustion or drown during the dangerous
   voyage each year to Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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