Migrants continue to risk lives a year after Lampedusa tragedy

World Today

A year after a boat capsized near the Italian island of Lampedusa killing more than 360 African migrants, people are still risking dying in the struggle for a better life.

In the weeks after the Lampedusa tragedy, there were widespread calls to aid migrants. Yet by some estimates, more than 3,000 people have died since trying to make the crossing from countries including Libya, Somalia and Eritrea.

Many of these migrants pay smugglers a fortune and often the boats they take on their journeys are death-traps.

Italy is among several countries that have stepped up patrols of these boats. It called on the European Union to take responsibility for rescuing migrants by investing in a border control agency. CCTV America’s Robert Nagila reports.