MILAN—As EU officials are putting their heads together to stem the tide of illegal immigrants, rescuers responded to two new migrant emergencies off Libya and a third boat ran aground near Greece on Monday following a weekend disaster that left hundreds feared dead.
Decrying what he called an “escalation in death voyages,” Italian Premier Matteo Renzi urged a united European response to combat the rising humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.
“We are facing an organized criminal activity that is making lots of money, but above all ruining many lives,” Renzi said in a joint news conference with Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
Calling the weekend tragedy “a game changer,” Muscat said that “if Europe doesn’t work together, history will judge it very badly.”
