Libya refugees land on Italian island

Al Jazeera English 2012-05-11

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A total of 1300 refugees, crammed in six boats, have landed on the tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa in the last twenty-four hours to escape the civil war in Libya.

Some of the refugees accuse coastguards and NATO troops of illegally ignoring distress calls, despite spotting their boats from the air and sea.

Around 20,000 migrants have fled to Lampedusa this year alone to escape uprisings in North Africa.

Meanwhile, Europe fears a growing wave of migration and is discussing more stringent border controls and ways of sending the immigrants back home.

Jonah Hull reports.

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