Migrants Tell How Boat Split and Sank off Tunisia

The impact of the economic crisis gripping Africa is washing up on the shores of the Mediterranean. A stream of boats make regular crossings between Africa and nearby Italy, bearing scores of illegal immigrants desperate to escape war-torn countries and faltering economies. The trip is a dangerous one – a boat carrying 250 migrants capsized off Tunisia last week, killing most of the passengers. The influx of Africans has prompted calls by some Italian officials for a crackdown on the ships. But the leader of Libya, the country from which the recently capsized boat set out, warns that rich states will be “swamped by waves of illegal immigration unless they step up cooperation with Africa to increase investments and job opportunities”. -YaleGlobal