Rome 2 Jul (ANA) - Italy has threatened to close its ports and impound rescue ships run by aid agencies carrying people from Libya. It needs more support as people cross the Mediterranean from Africa in large numbers, the UN's refugee agency said. More than 500,000 migrants have passed through Italian ports since 2014, and numbers are on the rise again. Why is Italy under so much pressure? Italy is the main destination for migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea, due to its proximity to Libya. According to the UN, 83,650 people have reached Italy by sea since the beginning of the year - a 20% increase on the same period in 2016. Numbers have been rising steeply, with about 12,600 migrants and refugees arriving last weekend alone. Most migrants make the journey across the Mediterranean in rickety boats, and the UN estimates that 2,030 migrants have died or gone missing since the start of the year.

Libya is a gateway to Europe for migrants from across sub-Saharan Africa as well as the Arabian peninsula, Egypt, Syria and Bangladesh. Many are fleeing war, poverty or persecution. The UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, said that among the arrivals in Italy there was an alarmingly high rate of unaccompanied children or victims of sexual or gender-based violence. The Italian coastguard takes the lead in co-ordinating rescue operations but many of the vessels run by non-profit groups sail under the flags of other nations, including EU countries like Germany and Malta. On Wednesday, Italy threatened to stop vessels from other countries from bringing migrants to its ports. Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has accused other European nations of "looking the other way".

Speaking on Sunday, Interior Minister Marco Minniti said: "If the only ports refugees are taken to are Italian, something is not working." "We are under enormous pressure," he added. (ANA)

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