Around 30 migrants found dead on boat near Sicily

The rescues, which the coast guard said have been going on since Friday evening, are the latest in a seemingly endless succession as the chronic migrant crisis in the southern Mediterranean has picked up this year. A total of 3,612 migrants from Syria and North Africa were picked up from 11 boats and taken to ports in Sicily and the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, a coastguard spokesman told Reuters. Some 43,000 people have crossed from North Africa to Italy so far this year, the same amount as in the whole of 2013, the coastguard said. REUTERS/Antonio Parrinello (ITALY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST SOCIETY IMMIGRATION) - RTR3RPV8' height='259' alt='MIGRANTS-ITALY/RESCUES' width='460' src='http://news.guugll.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/around-30-migrants-found-dead-on-boat-near-sicily.jpg' />

As many as 30 migrants were found dead on a boat packed with people off the coast of Sicily, said Italy’s navy, which rescued thousands more trying to cross from North Africa over the weekend.