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‘No more excuses’, EU warns as another migrant boat in distress

– Italy overwhelmed –

Some 11,000 migrants have been rescued since the middle of last week alone and current trends suggest last year’s total of 170,000 landing in Italy is likely to be exceeded in 2015.

The issue of who handles these migrants – for asylum or repatriation – is hugely sensitive, with Italy complaining its EU partners are not doing enough.

Rome scaled back its Mare Nostrum search-and-rescue operation at the end of last year in protest over its rising cost.

It was replaced by a much smaller EU-led mission called Triton, which has been accused of doing too little to save lives.

Some EU states, especially those not directly affected by the arrivals, have been reluctant to commit more resources to the rescue effort but that could be changing.

The deadliest incident prior to Sunday occurred off Malta in September 2014, when an estimated 500 migrants drowned after traffickers deliberately rammed their boat in an attempt to force the passengers onto a smaller vessel.

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