destination, lampedusa. >> first i was lucky they say joe you are moving today. i went in and they didn't take me. they said that i'm -- boat is full. so i have to go. they're following in two days time. about one or two days time, i heard the boat had been sank on the sea. all of the people died. >> so you had a mayor poa escape. >> narrow escape? >> yes! 125 passengers people all of them died, all of them sink including the boat. >> reporter: the boat he did board also got into trouble and had to be rescued. joseph still remembers vividly the moment he arrived in europe. >> they were very kind to us, they were happy to receive us. we all happy about them. so they sent us to lampedusa for about four days. they check us, medication and everything. they treat us. after that they took us inside plane and we came to rome. >> but life has not been as kind as he had hoped. joseph takes odd jobs where he can. he barely gets by. >> i struggle to get money to feed myself. >> reporter: you struggle to eat. >> yes, struggle to eat. in italy here, especially rome here, the

let's return to the top story, hundreds of migrants feared dead after a boat capsized off lampedusa lampedusa. william spindler is a spokesman for the united nations high commissioner for refugees. good to have you with us. what do you know about the incident and who the victims are? >> the information we received from the maltese is that a boat capsized in the early hours of today. a number of people have been rescued and some bodies recovered. it appears that 700 people may be missing. and there's a large rescue operation under way at the moment by the matisse rescue services -- maltese rescue service, coordinated by the italian coast guard and the european border agency. a number of ships are on the area, searching for survivors, and there's helicopters. we hope that some survivors will be indeed, found. this is the second incident this week where large numbers of people go missing, and it shows how urgent it is for the european union to act to bring this awful loss of life to an end. >> i mean, it's awful. it seems to be getting worse this year. we know that the pope spoke out, saying tha

it's thought it went down 120 kilometers off libya south of lampedusa. a major search and rescue operation is underway. 24 bodies have been recovered so far. let's get the latest from paul brennan. we've seen the first pictures of the rescue operation there it's a major major operation. tell us about the latest. >> let's talk first about those pictures. the italian coast guard put out some pictures of the rescue effort that's happening out there in the mediterranean in the last 12 hours. there are 17 vessels involved in this including military and navy vessels and merchant shipping which has responded to the callout by the coast guard and navy in order to join this effort. the physician have not been updated as far as the numbers rescued and missing. an hour ago is our last information of 29 rescued, 49 dead. these are overcrowded unseaworthy vessels put to sea from the libyan coasts. they do not have passenger manifests. it's impossible to know how many were onboard. what survivors are telling the people pulling them from the water on this occasion is t

so they sent us to lampedusa for about four days. they check us, medication and everything. they treat us. after that, they took us inside plane and we came to rome. >> but life has not been as kind as he had hoped. joseph takes odd jobs where he can. he barely gets by. >> i struggle to get money to feed myself. >> you struggle to eat? >> yes, struggle to eat. and italy here especially in roam here, the job has been limited. there is little job whereby people who are working you are lucky, if you are not lucky people are praying that someone will call you to come work for them. >> better life in europe. >> it is better to stay where they are. >> reporter: the words of a man who's been there is there now but words that many will ignore. so desperate are they for that new start. phil lavelle, al jazeera roam. >> new detail this hour about the six people arrested over the weekend in a wide ranging sweep in minnesota and california. now according to the complaint the six men planned secret trims separate trips to syria so they could join i.s.i.l. from minneapolis and new york ci

it's thought that the boat went down about 200km south of the island of lampedusa. the italian and maltese coast guards are conducting a major search and rescue. 28 have been rescued. 24 bodies recovered. port brennan is in catania and joins us live. i wonder if anyone else has been rescued. >> well we are trying to get the latest figures from the coast guard. it is a sunday night the the only figures we have is a couple of years old. the latest figures was 28 confirmed rescued. and the estimation between those on board is between 700 and 800. there are hundreds of people unaccounted for. there's a flotilla of vessels out there. what we understand is the boat which set off from libya, was spotted by a port fees vessel. when migrants saw the portuguese vessel they crowded to one side of their boat destabilizing it causing it to capsize. the portuguese vessel was a merchant vessel is not set up for rescue operation you cap imagine the chaos that ensued as a result. there was 18 ships, naval and merchant vessels in the area. 70 miles north of the coast, they are scouri

the italian island of lampedusa has become a weigh station for thousands of desperate my grants, and our chief foreign correspondent correspondent richard engel is there tonight. >> reporter: around midnight these days the rescue boats come into port. this one had 92 migrants aboard plucked from a rubber dinghy. they're processed, bussed away and now in european hands. italy, especially in the south, has received more than 20,000 migrants so far this year. they're coming across these waters in record numbers. but the sea has been unforgiving. migrants have long tried to cross the mediterranean for europe, and it's always been dangerous. even when there's little wind like today the seas can be quite rough in the deep water. but this year aid groups say 30 times more people have died compared to last year. abandoned by the roadside in lapaduse is a graveyard of ships. these are the wrecks that survived the journey. we came across a group of ethiopians. they arrived last week. so you came on a boat just like this? >> just like this. >> reporter: were you on deck or down below? >> yes. >

as many as 700 are feared dead in the med at med at her 18ian sea capsized south of the island of lampedusa. paul is on the island of sicily. this could turn out to be the biggest migrant tragedy in the mediterranean in recent years. bring us up to speed with the search and rescue operation. >> the operation is on going. there are now 17 vessels involved in that search and rescue operation. so far the figures are that we have 49 rescued, 24 people are confirmed dead, but the unhcr which had survivor testimony said survivors are saying there were as many as 700, 750 people onboard that just 20-meter long boat when it capsized around midnight last night saturday night. the numbers of unaccounted for missing are in the hundreds. that certainly would make -- if there is missing people, turn out to not be able to be rescued alive. there is a major operation involving maltese navy vessels italian court guard and navy vessels, as well as merchant shipping -- to preserve life. it is a deary stressing and gripping operation. >> the italian coast guard has had to rescue thousands of migrants in the l

one ship docked in the city port of augusta, another loaded with 100 more arrived in lampedusa hours ago. italy's prime minister is calling for more help from european leaders. paul brennan has more now from britannia. >> the 446 migrants brought ashore in augusta which is a port half hour drive south of here will now be looked at medically and taken to a reception center to recuperate. they were a party of migrants rescued yesterday off the coast which is the instep if you manage the boot of italy rescued there and brought here to sicily to rescue centers here. the other thing that is on going at the moment is the court proceedings against the captain and the ship's mate from the boat which went down at the weekend. with the loss, we believe with as many as 100 lives that would be the single biggest loss of life throughout this whole mediterranean migrant phenomenon. the stories coming out of the circumstances of that are truly harrowing. >> that's paul brennan in italy. >> there's been another delay in the retrial for two al jazeera gurns, mohamed fahmy and baher mohammed were back

. >> the reception center on the island of lampedusa it's to be another long difficult side on italy's mediterranean. more than 10,000 have been plucked from the water since last friday alone. but the risks are high. some 140 are believed to have drown before being rescued. >> we spoke to them a group of people who mentioned they departed from lynn yaz on the same group. 540 people approximately only 145 were rescued. the remainder died apparently in the mediterranean. >> reporter: boats are not just being abandoned. they are too valuable used. >> last week, they witnessed warning shots pattern taking the migrant back to libya. splug lers are running out of boats and determined to do anything including shooting their guns in order to do that. >> it's estimated already this year more than 500 migrants is died trying to make the crossing fromafrom africa. >> there needs to be legal alternatives to be able to come to europe. >> the police now tell us, they are not going to tell us where these people are going. the many nows more will try ofollow in their footsteps. paul brennan,age sisly.

this plane flying out of the italian island of lampedusa every day. lampedusa is italy's southernmost territory just 70 miles from the north african coast. lieutenant colonel sanitillo is the pilot. >> this situation, likely, coast guard was in the area. about ten mile distance from the target we intercepted. >> reporter: target is how they describe is whatever they're looking for. this plane has no weaponry. during the flight they also came across a half submerged fishing boat and a half deflate e e ed with no people. >> the vast majority of these dangerous sea crossings start in libya. and the european union is pledging new action that they hope will stem float of migrants. one option that is under consideration now, taking military action against boats used for human trafficking before they leave shore. the head of libya's army told cnn he does not thimbnk that is good idea. listen. >> translator: military action against libyan territory is an unwise decision. you need to deal with the libyan crisis as a whole. we are a sovereign country that needs

this group arrived on the island of lampedusa. small children were among those hurt. aid workers described the injuries as the worst they'd ever seen. >> we found conditions usually due to the conditions on the boat that they are sitting in fuel and salty water and they are burned. nothing as bad as this. >> six months ago operation triton, to the dismay, hundreds of rescued migrants were brought on shore operation triton may have meant a circle back, the italian coast guard is still operating autonomously. it picked up 300 migrants from a stricken vessel. shown extraordinary compassion to the migrants. the port of pisallo received 30,000 without any protest or complaint. the mayor of pisallo says compassion is the only reaction to such a situation. are. >> translator: we can't push these people away, we have to save them. august 2013 we had one boat containing 45 corpses. seeing that was the most horrible experience of my life. 45 of bodies almost liquefied. >> europe still has no comprehensive plan to tackle the issue. paul brennan, al jazeera pisallo, sicily. >> sh

this group arrived on the italian island of lampedusa on friday suffering an appalling condition of burns injuries. aid workers described the injuries as the worst they'd ever seen. >> we have seen burns before, due to the fact they sit in fuel and salty water for days, they come in burned. nothing as bad as this. >> reporter: six months ago acknowledge operation triton, the sicilian port of pisallo after their overcrowded boat was taken over by coast guard. search and is rescue mission in the mediterranean. the italian coast guard is still operating autonomously. when it picked up more than 300 migrant survivors extraordinary compassion to the migrants. the port of pisalho received 30,000 last year without any protest or complaint. the may i respectfully says the suffering is the reaction. >> we can't push these people away, it's not right. we can't turn them away. the boat of last year was friefer bodies almost liquefied inside the notes. i want to be the mayor who welcomes the immigrant not the mayor who receives the bodies. >> so far this year alone it's estimated that nearly a thousa

>> well, essentially what happened is after a terrible shipwreck off the coast of lampedusa, italy's island in the mediterranean in october 2014 italy established a massive naval humanitarian operation in the mediterranean which is credited with saving the lives of tens of thousands of people. it was unsustainable for one country alone to do that. and in the end italy ended that operation in november 2014 and the e.u. launched a program called tritan. it operates on a much smaller geographic scale and most importantly does not have a prime minister mandate to save lives. it is a border enforcement operation. i think what we're looking at, and what we have been looking at is a shocking lack of political will to save lives. >> we'll certainly be covering that meeting in luxembourg. judith sunderland from humans rights watch. thank you judith. >> now to a humanitarianize happening in iraq. the u.n. describes the city as a ghost town. residents are caught in the fighting, and many are seeking shelter in baghdad. but the capital is denying most of them entry. >> it doesn't care about us.

another two arrived in sicily and lampedusa italy's employmentprime minister is calling for more help from european leaders. >> well, the 446 migrants who were brought ashore down in augusta, a port here in catania they now be looked at medically and then taken to a reception center to recuperate. we understand that they were a party of migrants rescued yesterday in the boot of italy and brought here to sicily to rescue centers here. the other thing that is on going at the moment is the court proceedings against the captain and the ship's mate from the boat which went down at the weekend with the loss we believe of as many as 100 lives. that would be the single biggest loss of life throughout this whole mediterranean migrant phenomenon. and the stories coming out of the circumstances of that are truly harrowing. >> in boston day two of testimony in the penalty phase for marathon bomber dzhokhar tsarnaev on the witness constant the brother and stepfather of the officer seancal yearsean collier. he was killed after the bombing. >>> 93-year-old oskar groning talked about how cattle cars

. >> it's not even peak season for migrants yet, but the reception area on the island of lampedusa is heaving. 1400 rescued refugees are crammed in a unit intended tore 250. it will be another long difficult summer on the mediterranean border. ports along italy's southern coast, boats bring in hundreds of rescued refugees. at the latest count. 10,000 have been fluked from the water. risks are -- plucked from the water. risks are high. 400 are believed to have drowned on monday. survivors spoke of panic and tragedy. >> we met them yesterday, talked to them. a group of people mentioned that they departed from libya on the same boat. there were 550 people approximately. and 45 were rescued. the others unfortunately died in the mediterranean. >> traffickers are bolder. last monday one deployed to italy. and witnessed warning shots fired by the smugglers who were attempting to take the boat originally carrying the migrants back to libya. this is a sign that the smugglers are running out of boats, and, therefore they are determined to do anything including shooting their guns in order to do

they come to lampedusa on friday suffering from appalling burn injuries. small children were affected. aid workers say it was the worst they had ever seen. >> usually due to the conditions they're sitting in in the boat. sitting in fuel and salty water for a few days, so they come in burnt. nothing as bad as this. >> operation tritan took over the responsibility for patrol patrolling european borders. it's the sicilian port hundreds more were brought to shore on friday after their overcrowded boat was intercepted by italian cost coast guards. operation tritan has scaled back operations but it does not mean that they have stopped all operations. the italian coast guard picked up 300 migrant survivors from a stricken vessel. >> sicilians have shown extraordinary compassion for the migrants. the mayor says that sympathy is the only reaction to such suffering. >> we can't push these people away. it's not right. we have to save them. they're human beings. in august 2014 we had boat containing 45 corpses. 45 bodies almost liquified inside the boat. i want to be

lampedusa is very often the first landfall that these refugees make.nd then they become effectively the italians responsibility. what we see is the italians are increasingly reluctant to take on full responsibility. and the authorities take these refugees to holding centers, and then they open the doors, and the refugees are allowed to roam free heading north. so that is the expectation. the hope is for a coordinated approach to make sure that italy alone does not bear the full burden for this influx. >> it is a long and dangerous journey for those refugees. paul. thank you. >>> iran's nuclear capabilities were a key issue at a meeting of some of the world's greatest powers. their are discussing the conflicts around the world. dominic kane is in germany where the meeting took place. >> reporter: they have discussed yemen, libya, islamic state of iraq and the levant, and iran. and that is something that secretary of state john kerry who has now left the summit -- he spoke about iran and talked about the importance of the p5-plus-1 discussions that were

we've got another 112 arrive on the island of lampedusa here. around 500 have been brought to the mainland of italy. more than 1,000 migrants are arriving here despite knowing the dangers before they set off. the desperation of these people is just extraordinary. >> and paul, of course, all eyes turn to brussels for that meeting of leaders. what kind of solution at this stage can they come up with? >> there has been a meeting of european foreign ministers earlier this week. and the ten-point plan there includes things such as strengthening the patrolling operations which have been scaled back. potentially doubling those operations. doubling the current level still won't bring it up to what it was last year because it's a third currently to what it was last year. matteo renzi was talking about refugee camps but it will be a tough ask there in bustles. >> thank you. >> well, we go to libyan coast. >> this facility has been turned into a holding center. it's overcrowded. the people come from ethiopia, eritrea, senegal some somalis and all of them h

there was a 11-year-old boy a couple of weeks ago came to lampedusa. it's just unbelievable. >> then they're led away to a reception center. i caught a quick word from one from darfur in sudan. >> i'm looking for a safe praise to live because our country is so dangerous and there is--there is a war. >> in catania i met two young africans who made that journey across the mediterranean one year ago. nino and cakka from gambia. they found support in a religious charity but their lives are in limbo and they are lonely. >> i wanted a better life. now i miss my mom. i miss my mom now. i don't have anybody else. at the time i came here, i don't know what yet is my future. i don't know yet my future now. >> we talk of this as an immigration crisis. but the people at the docks tired and confused for sure, are also relieved. they've escaped wars and crossed a sea without disaster. they would rather be here than in the troubled lands they left behind. barnaby phillips, al jazeera, italy. >> e.u.'s prime ministers have come together to call for the stop of migrant

i'm hearing that another 112 arrived at lampedusa in the mediterranean in the last 12 hours. and another 500 are due to ark, we understand at the port on the mainland near naples. how to deal with this crisis. it's at the forefront of the european leader's mind. there's a call for people to take a tough approach. fearing from compassion to tough, and the australian prime minister tony abbott has - as europe's leaders, have to turn back the boat to not allow anybody in. it will be a hard and tough debate, an interesting debate and it's anyone's guest as to whether compassion or a tough stance will win out in the end. >> all right. we'll have to wait and see what wins out in the end. >> there has been protests in egypt against the 20 year gaol sentence handed down to deposed president mohamed mursi. >> these pictures show hundreds of people demonstrating in neighbourhoods of cairo. mohamed mursi was the first democratically elected president but removed from power in a 2013 military coup. dozens and hong kong have been rallying against an electoral reform plan and are angry the

we are hearing of another 112 have been brought to the island of lampedusa, and another boat with 500 on board, a navy boat will dock at the port of salem, the mainland. with more coming in. e.u. leaders prepare for the summit on thursday it's clear that the flow of migrants is not slowing. >>> there has been protests in egypt against a 20 year gaol sentence handed to deposed president mohamed mursi. that's pictures show hundreds demonstrating in cairo. mursi was a democratically elected president but removed from power in a 2013 coup. dozens in hong kong have been rallying against an electoral reform plan, angry that it complies with china guidelines to screen candidates for the election. >> reporter: the government's electoral reform plan guided the people of hong kong. security was forced to step in as protesters verbally clashed. central to the plan is ruling out a free election in 2017. instead allowing for china or the national people's congress to vet the candidates. the candidate said this is a milestone for hong kong, and the public needs to support democratic protest. >> thi

we have another 112 arrive in lampedusa today where they were rescued and brought to land. 500 were brought to the port on the mainland of italy. hundreds of are arriving here despite knowing the dangers before setting off. >> paul brennan reporting from catania. day two of testimony in the penalty phase for boston marathon bomber dzhokhar tsarnaev. they describe the death of officer sean collier as something that will effect them for the rest of their lives. graphic testimony from a former nazi guard in germany. oskar grÖning talked about how quote, cattle cars fill of jews were constantly arriving. then the people would be led to directly to the gas chambers. grown something being tried on grÖning is being charged on 300,000 counts of aiding murder. >>> russia's energy giant gazprom has been charged. >> there is history here, and that russia has used gas in ways that have been accuse--russia has been accused of in a political manner that taps had been turned off in ukraine in years gone past and various other disputes that have arisen within other countries within the european union. it's

the israeli coast guard took 400 to lampedusa. italy wants hep from the iou to deal with -- e.u. to deal with the migrant matters. the scale was highlighted after a boat as capsized on sunday killing 800 migrants. people have been paying tribute to victims at a morgue where the bodies were taken. most began their mournjourney in libya. hoda abdel-hamid has been taking it to people willing to take the journey across the sea in the hope of a better future. >> reporter: they escaped war and poverty, travelling for weeks, sometimes months to reach europe. baba almost made it when his boat was intercepted. it was on the same day another carrying 400 migrants capsized. >> they got me and put me in container. and i come here. i don't know this place. somewhere in here. we don't understand where. >> reporter: mohammed was on the journey, escaping sierra leone, after his parents died of ebola last year. >> we are orphans without anybody. we don't have any help of anybody. >> now they are in a detention center on the outskirts of misrata. 1,000 are held here. the building used to be a scho

a major air, sea, search operation is underway on the italian italian island of lampedusa. more on this from paul brennan, in kat annia on the italian island of sicily. what more do we know? >> well we are firming up details. an hour ago we werery tributing it to maltese media, now we've had the opportunity to the operations room in rome, and they gave us figures, that i can relate to you. as of 15 minutes ago they said 28 confirmed dead. their figure as far as how much were aboard were between 700-800 people. 18 ships are in the search and rescue area and there is one plane and two rescue helicopters on patrol out there, searching for survivors, and that the incident happened some 73 miles from the libyan coast. i can say that on social media we are seeing things. the prime minister of malta, his twitter account talking about a rescue account involving the navy and merchant ships. the numbers on the boat was 650 according to his figures. what is clear is that there is a major catastrophe involving a boat which is trying to make it out of libya and make it to mainland europ

disaster struck 200 i'll -- miles off the italian coast of lampedusa. the boat capsized. >> 1000 week have died -- over the past week, 1000 people have died in the mediterranean, 30 times people more than perished in the costa concordia. matt: survivors are being taken to sicily, one of the main once of entry for african refugees -- main points of entry for african refugees. the european union is now under pressure to act. the call for europe to do more to save lives of migrants at sea is growing louder. brent: we will get the latest from luxembourg, where eu four and interior ministers are holding crisis talks -- where eu foreign and interior ministers are holding crisis talks. in luxembourg -- reporter: in luxembourg, a moment of silence for the latest victims. >> today, i think we gave a strong reaction from the european union side. today, we have a new european level of awareness that this is a european issue not of single member states. reporter: at the center of the criticism is europe's triton program, which has patrolled the border of to 55 kilo

it happened near the italian island of lampedusa, south of sicily. 24 people are confirmed dead and officials expect that the death toll will be rising into the hundreds. officials believe the ship held about 700 people. crews have only rescued a few dozen people so far. >>> take a look at this fire on a bus that was carrying students from the university of connecticut. this was one of four chartered buses taking the students to a harbor cruise in boston yesterday. police say the driver noticed thick smoke coming from the engine and pulled over in massachusetts. the students evacuated the bus, which was reduced to a charred husk. luckily, no one was hurt. >> get back! >> high drama caught on a police body cam near cincinnati, ohio. the video shows officer jesse kidder yelling at a murder suspect to get down on the ground. the officer says he was watching the suspect's hands near his pockets the whole time. finally, the suspect complies backup arrives, police headmade the arrest and no one was shot. >> i was trying to open a dialogue with him. you know i don't want to shoot you, just get on th

last week, more than 700 people drowned, making the journey to the tiny italian island of lampedusa. the army has been diploid in burundi on the second day of protest against the president's decision to run for a third term of office. the main independent radio station has been that down after the government accused it of trying to disrupt the peace. police used tear gas to disperse demonstrations in the capital. america's attorney general has been sworn in to replace eric holder, who left on friday after six years. she is expected to serve as top admiral law enforcement official for the remainder of the obama administration. you are watching "bbc world news america." protesters and police clash in baltimore, where public anger is growing over the unexplained death of a black american man in police custody. european and ukrainian leaders have been meeting in kiev as fighting in the east continues. tom burress is outside donetsk a city that has been at the forefront of fighting since it began. he sent this report of life on the front line. tom: this is the reality of a neighborhood on

it capsized a few hundred miles off of lampedusa. so far, 28 survivors have been found. one said 700 people, if not more were traveling on the boat. if confirmed, it would bring the death toll to 1500 this year alone. the latest disaster is fueling calls for a stronger response. european union foreign ministers are to hold urgent talks on the crisis on monday before a summit in rome on thursday. phil lavelle is in rome. first, paul brennan is in catania on the east coast of sicily. paul first to you. can you tell us what the latest is from where you are? >> reporter: well there hasn't been any substantive update in the last couple of hours. the figures are as they were about 120 minutes ago when we last spoke. it was 49 people had been rescued by that. 24 were confirmed dead. as you say, hundreds of people believed to be missing. it's important to remember these that set out from the north linnian are squalid, undorsey worthy boats. they don't have passenger manifests. it's impossible to know exactly how many people were on board, and so estimates are very much based upo

fishing boat capsized off of the libyan coast, a few hundred kilometers south of lampedusalamp oflamp lampedusa one said 70 people if not more were traveling on the boat. 24 bodies have been recovered so far and they have been taken to malta. the latest disaster is fueling cause for a stronger response. the italian government has held a crisis meeting after the italian prime minister called for an emergency summit of european leaders to deal with the problem. let's cross live to phil lavelle in rome where the italian capnet held an emergency meeting. tell us a bit more about what matteo renzi had to say. >> reporter: there are two strands: the immediate term and the short-term. in the immediate term he talked about shaking up the european community so that they tackled this problem together. he didn't give specific details about what's going to happen today, tomorrow. there was talk at the u.n. for example. he didn't say exactly what that would entail. we got the impression they are at least talking. for so long you have had italy saying that europe has abandoned them. we have the impression. e

these twin brothers made it to the island of lampedusa. we had stayed we would have been dead," mohammed said. "you only die once in your life. we decided to risk dying trying to reach here." french president francois hollande labeled the smugglers "terrorists" and called for "a much more intense fight against human smuggling." one option being proposed is a blockade on libyan ports from where most of the boats set off. but that isn't likely to stop the smugglers from trying to make money or the desperate from taking the potentially lethal risks. allen pizzey allen, cbs news rome. >> glor: isis released a video today claiming it shows the mass execution of ethiopian christians in libya. alex ortiz in cairo has more on the growing influence in north africa. >> reporter: the latest isis video delivered a clear and direct threat to christians in the middle east. >> you will not have safety, even in your dreams, until you embrace islam. >> reporter: then militants carried out what appears to be a mass execution. masked men lined up two groups

. >> it's not even peak season for migrants yet but the reception center on the island of lampedusa is already heaving. 400 refugees are crammed into an unit intended for 250. it will be another long night. boats are bringing in hundreds of rescue refugees. at latest count 10,000 have been plucked from the water since last friday alone. but the risks are high. on monday 400 people are believed to have drown before rescue could arrive. survivors spoke of panic and then of tragedy. >> we met them yesterday. we spoke to them, a group of people mentioned they departed from libya on the same boat. there were 550 people approximately, and only 145 were rescued while the others are believed to, unfortunately died in the mediterranean. >> the traffickers are becoming bolder and more ruthless. boats are no longer being abandoned. they're too valuable to lose. >> last monday one of the boats witnessed warning shots fired by the smugglers threatening to take the migrants back to libya. this is a clear sign that the smugglers in libya are running out of boats. therefore, they're determined to do a

and the island of lampedusa. that's off the coast of italy. last year $280,000 made it to europe via the mediterranean. nearly $8,500 arrived in the last four days or so. we have our correspondent who covered the story extensively from us from so many different parts of the world and is in another studio in doha and we have another correspondent who is in beirut and he's in beirut and he can tell us more from the point of view. let me start by asking about the situation next door where you are, and in syria, because that is proving to be a country that is providing a large number of refugees entering into the european problem, isn't it? >> yes, you are rite. when you talk about lebanon, there's no way you can ignore the fact that this is a tiny country that is bursting at the scenes with syrian refugees a fourth of the population now is syrian refugees. the term that we hear most with refugees be that palestinians or syrian, talk about being on the boat, smuggling is death. the refugees who spend their life savings smuggling on to the insecure

i met a 11-year-old boy couple of weeks ago in lampedusa these children have not seen anything in their life, 11 or 12 or eight. this is unbelievable. >> reporter: then they're led away to a reception center, i caught a quick word with yahya. from darfur in sudan. >> i'm looking for a safe place to live. because our country is so dangerous, and there is -- there is a war. >> in catania nino from senegal, waka from gambia. their lives are in limbo and they are lonely. >> i want a better life. because now i miss my mom. i have only my mom now. i don't have anybody else. the time i came here, the family i have is only, this is my family here. i don't know yet what is -- what is my future now? i don't -- be i don't know yet my future now. >> reporter: we talk of this as an immigration crisis. but the people on the docks at augusta, tired and confused for sure are also relieved. they have crossed a sea without disaster. they would rather be here than in the troubled lands they left. barnaby phillips, al jazeera augusta sicily. >> coming up next a closer look at the extreme repressive conditi

destindestination lampedusa. >> i was lucky. they said, you're moving today. i went there and they didn't take me. they said that i'm--the boat is over. so it's full. so i have to go. in one or two days time i heard that the boat sink in the sea. all of the people died. >> so you had a narrow escape. >> yes. all of them died. all of them sink including the boat. >> but the boat he did board also got into trouble and had to be rescued. joseph still remembers vividly the moment he arrived in europe. >> they were very kind to us. they were happy to receive pups we were happy about them. they took us in a plane, and we came to rome. >> but life has not been as kind as he had hoped. joseph takes odd jobs where he can. he barely gets by. >> i struggle to get money to feed myself. >> you struggle eat. >> yes, i struggle to eat. there are little jobs. you're lucky to get some job. if you're not lucky you just pray that somebody will call you to come work. and he has a message for those driven to risk their lives to get to europe. >> it is better for them to stop comin

this group arrived on the tiny island of lampedusa suffering appalling burn injuries.t was the result of an explode exploding gas bottle. aid work workers say it's the worst they've seen. >> they're sitting in fuel and salty water for a few days so they're coming in burnt but nothing as bad as this. >>> a few months ago operation tritan took over rescue operations. but at the sicilian ports where migrants come. >> the italian cost guard is still operating autonomously. the boat behind me was just 40 miles from the libyan coast when it picked up more than 300 migrant survivors from a stricken vessel. the citizens of sicily's coastal ports have shown extraordinary compassion towards the migrants. the port received 30,000 last year without any protest or complaints. >> we can't push these people away. it's not right. we have to save them. they're human beings. in august 2014 we had one boat containing 25 corporations. >> u.s. pratt barack obama said italy's government is on the right track with its economic reforms. president obama made the comments during a joint confere

this group arrived in lampedusa, the victims of an exploding gas bottle.orkers described the injuries as the worst they had ever seen. >> we have seen severe burns before but they are usually due to the conditions on board of the boat they are sitting in fuel and salty water for a few days, so they come in and are burnt. nothing as bad as this. >> reporter: six months ago operation trite an took over patrol. but hundreds of more rescues migrants were brought ashore. operating operating. it was just 40 miles from the coast when it picked up more than 300 mie grans from the ship. the captain says if someone is drowning he has to help. >> translator: [ speaking foreign ] >> reporter: the citizens of sicily's coastal ports have also shown extraordinary compassion to the migrants. this port received 30,000 last year with no protest or complaint. the mayor says sympathy is the only reaction to such suffering. >> translator: we can't push these people away. it's not right. we have to save them. they are human beings. in august we had one boat containing 45 corpse

many hundreds were crammed onto a fishing vessel that rolled over and sunk about 120 miles from lampedusa, but it's feared that there's 700 to 900 people who have died. a commercial ship said the rollover might have been caused when people on deck all ran to one side to try to signal for the passing commercial vessel that they needed help. when all of those people moved to one side and all of that weight shifted that reportedly is when the boat went over. so far only a couple dozen people have been found alive, and a couple dozen bodies. the italian coast guard and every ship in the region has been called in to try to help find any survivors. that just overwhelming search and rescue was under way starting saturday night, the italian coast guard and coast cigar of the nation of malta were also called out, while that rescue effort was under way, they were to responsibility to two other distressed boats that were also dalles prattly overloaded. simultaneously in that same area, the coast guard from italy and malta moved in to rescue people on an inflatable raft that had been packed with 150

the migrants were taken to the italian island of lampedusa in sicily. 3500 of the migrants died. >>> in our global view segment we look at how news outlets are reacting to various events. an editorial in lebanon's daily star calls yarmouk refugee camp uncontested murder. >>> the australian broadcasting corporation has a story on something we brought you earlier, calls on the australian government to take a stand to save australian citizens. it she says human life should not come second to currying favor on the international stage. editorial says no prove the threat of execution deters crime and that the death penalty does not make people safer. >>> prime tourist season is about to start in indian administered kashmir but unseasonable rain is putting a damper on it. liddy dutt reports. >> reporter: the tulips he's been tending to for months are in bloom. these bright hues have transformed a sprawling plane at the foot of the mountains to a keeping straight out of a bollywood film. >> we do everything we can to protect them. i'm very proud of them. >> reporter: monday marks the start o

it's thought it went down about 120 kilometers off the coast of libya south of lampedusa. a major search and rescue operation is now underway. we have al jazeera's paul drone man joining us from sicily. bring us up to date with the latest. i understand a couple more people have been rescued. >> yeah, the kali coast guard have i should reports of the actually search and rescue operation in the wider area of sea out there in the mediterranean. there are some 17 vessels involved in that search and rescue operation both military, navy and coast guard, as well as merchant shipping, called into action to respond. hundreds of people possibly to be plucked from the water. there is a weather front moving in in the direction that have area of sea where the search and rescuest is going on that. we heard there were 49 rescued and 24 dead. the survivors that have been pulled from the a year have said on that 20-meter boat there were at least 700 people, so that is hundreds of people missing and if they're not found that the constitute the biggest loss of life since this began in 2011.

according to the times of malta the boat overturned 125 miles south of lampedusa. the main route for migrants fleeing libya. paul brennan has the story. >> the search and rescue is being supported by coast guard and helicopters. joined which merchant vessels. planes are crisscrossing the sea where the migrant boat capsized. scouring the ways for survivors but the likelihood are grows more remote. the sicilian port of catania's mayor told me was in brussels just lack week demanding eu assistance. >> i banged my fists on the table and told them it's dishonorable that the continent turns its back. there needs to be a european policy on immigration and help for disprits people who ask for desperate people who ask for asylum. >> to consider them not as mieg mymigrants but human beings. >> such tragedies should not be repeated. >> reporter: then gave a televised news conference. his words aimed not only at the italian public but also his fellow eu leaders. >> translator: we think that the fight against human trafficking should be a priority. not just for italy and malta

. >> it's not even peak season for migrants yet but the reception center on the island of lampedusa is already heaving. 1400 rescued refugees are crammed into an unit made 250. ports along italy's southern coast boats are bringing in hundreds of rescued averages. the latest count 10,000 have been plucked from the water since last friday alone. but the risks are high. on monday, more than 400 people are believed to have drowned before rescue could arrive. panic and then tragedy. >> we spoke to them. >> there were 550 people approximately, and only 145 were rescued while the others are believed unfortunately to have died in the mediterranean. >> the traffickers are becoming bolder and more ruthless. boats are no longer just being abandoned. they're too valuable to lose. >> last monday one of the vessels to italy within the framework of operation tritan witnessed warning shots fired by the smugglers who were attempting to take the boat originally carrying the migrants back to libya. this is a clear sign that the smugglers in libya are running out of boats. and therefore they are determine

the surge of refugees is putting a strain on coastal communities like island of lampedusa. >> they're asking to provide food and shelt eer amid concern. >> of the migration route from north africa to italy has become one of the world's dead leapest journeys. thousand of people are welling to risk their lives hoping for a future free from civil war and political chaos. ben wederman has more on their desperate struggle. >> reporter: they arrive on the shores of europe with only the clothing they wear. and some without shoes. their only real possession, hope. this italian tugboat managed to rescue 117 migrants, most from gambia and nigeria off the libyan coast. percy told me she was fleeing. she and the others paid human traffickers 1,000 libyan dinars, $700 for a bet ride fraught with danger. around 10,000 migrants arrived in italy in the last few days. but 400 have gone missing, when their ship cap sized. with fair weather and signs of spring, more are expected to come. with a future that promises little more than grinding hopeless poverty, the 2-year-old had little to lose. my family