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afrcanews

Humanitarian agencies have warned of a human catastrophe and painted a gloomy picture on the plight of young African immigrants who die while trying to enter parts of the European Union [EU]. Some of the migrants brought to safety on the Italian island of Lampedusa at the weekend say they witnessed a boat carrying between 500-600 people.

The boat was foundering off the Libyan coast late last week and bodies were being washed ashore, according to the migrants. Many more young African men have died on the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean trying to enter Spain enroute to countries in the European Union.

This comes as countries in the EU announced new immigration rules to control the influx of illegal immigrants who have complicated the social service order making it a burden to the commoners.

According to the International Organisation for Migration [IOM], many migrants are forced to make this death journeys by pro-Gaddafi soldiers who fire at them forcing them to board waiting boats.

One Somali woman told IOM staff on Lampedusa that she and her four-month-old baby had been on the boat that sank sometime between Thursday and Friday last week. Having lost her baby, the woman swam to shore after which she boarded another boat heading to Italy.

"She was in a state of shock when she arrived on Lampedusa," said IOM's Daria Storia on the island.

Yet many more young Africans are still prepared to pay the massive sum of £3,000 for the short, but risky trip from North Africa to the Canary Islands and others risk coming to the Italian Island of Lampedusa despite the risks involved.

Although this is the first time that IOM has reported on the plight of Libyan migrants being forced by Libyan officials to get on a boat, many have confessed that they did not have to pay for their passage to Lampedusa while others say they have paid a nominal fee.

The Gaddafi loyalists have been accused of stripping some of the escaping immigrants of their savings and possessions, including mobile phones.

In contrast, Tunisian migrants arriving on Lampedusa have been paying up to 1,200 euros to make the sea journey on smugglers' boats from Tunisia.

Since the crisis started, more than 10,371 migrants of various nationalities have arrived on Lampedusa or the neighbouring island of Linosa from Libya with about 1,887arriving this weekend alone on five boats.

Meanwhile, IOM has announced its intention to continue its sea evacuations from the Libyan port city of Misrata in order to help prevent more tragedies of this kind and to lessen the suffering of migrant and wounded Libyan civilians despite the siege on the city of Misrata.