About 60 migrants were killed this Sunday when their boat capsized not far from the Italian town of Crotone. in Calabria (south), a few days after the adoption of a controversial regulation for the rescue of migrants at sea.

‘Until a few minutes ago the number of confirmed victims was 59″Vincenzo Voce, the city’s mayor, told Sky TG-24 at 4 p.m. local time.

According to the rescuers the boat was carrying about 120 people and collided with some rocksa few meters from the coast. According to the fire service, there were “more than 200 people” on board.

On the images released by the Italian police pieces of wood are scattered on the beach, where the lifeguards went while the rescued waited to be transferred to a shelter.

Government leader Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy (FDI, far right) party, expressed her “deep pain” in a statement and said it was “criminal to push a boat barely 20 meters into the sea by 200 meters.” to steer”. people on board and with a bad weather forecast.”

“The government is committed exits and such tragedies and it will continue to do so by first demanding the greatest co-operation from the countries of departure and origin,” he assured.

The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, specified that a “large number of these migrants came from Afghanistan and Iran, fleeing very difficult circumstances”.

Following the tragedy, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, pushed for progress in reforming the right to asylum in the European Union.

It is necessary “to redouble efforts on the Migration Pact and the right to asylum and the Action Plan for the Central Mediterranean,” he said.

This new shipwreck comes just days after controversial new rules for the rescue of migrants, promoted by the government dominated by the far right, were approved in the Italian parliament.

“Clandestine Immigration”

Meloni came to power with a coalition in October after promising to cut immigration to Italy. The new law requires humanitarian ships to carry out one rescue operation per trip to sea.

Critics say the rules increase the risk of death in the central Mediterranean, considered the world’s most dangerous journey for migrants. Italy’s geographical location makes it a favorite destination for asylum seekers moving from North Africa to Europe.

Rome has been complaining for years about the number of arrivals on its territory, although most migrants leave the peninsula for other countries.

According to the Ministry of the Interior about 14,000 migrants have arrived in Italy since the beginning of the yearcompared to 5,200 in the same period last year and 4,200 in 2021.

For Italy’s Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, this “tragedy (…) shows how absolutely necessary it is to fight vigorously against clandestine immigration networks.”

While the NGOs only rescue a small percentage of them – most of them intercepted by Coast Guard or Navy vessels – the government accuses them of encouraging arrivals and encouraging smugglers with their work.

Pope Francis responded quickly, expressing his “pain” and affirming “to pray for each of them, for the disappeared and for the other migrants who survived”.

Filippo Grandi, head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Acnur), lamented “another terrible shipwreck” and stated that “the time has come for states to stop debating and agree on fair, effective and shared measures to prevent new tragedies”. .