Rome: Migrant arrivals in Italy have dropped nearly 70 percent since summer as a deal with Libya blocks boats and would-be asylum seekers use other routes into Europe. Arrivals in Spain, meanwhile, have more than tripled, with over 14,000 arrivals this year compared to 12 months ago. The dangerous route to Italy was largely closed down at the end of June by a controversial deal Rome made with Libyan authorities, tribal leaders and — according to Libyan sources refuted by Rome — human traffickers. But the ship’s crew had to watch as Libyan coast guards scooped up the 200 migrants on board and took them back to Libya. The drop in numbers from Libya does not signal the end of Italy’s migration crisis.

Source: Libya Today November 01, 2017 04:18 UTC