‘[In 2008] Out of about 67,000 people crossing to Europe by sea, some 35,000 arrived in Italy and 2,800 in Malta, mostly via Libya. About three-quarters of those arriving in Italy applied for asylum and Italy granted around half of them refugee status or protection on other humanitarian grounds. Nearly all who arrived irregularly by sea in Malta applied for asylum and Malta found some 60 percent to be in need of international protection.’
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MIGRANTS AT SEA 