Migrant crisis

Migrant crisis: Dozens feared drowned off Libya coast

The dinghy, which had been carrying at least 100 people, had set off from Libya's western city of Sabratha last Friday, local officials told the BBC.

The vessel was adrift for days before it capsized and was washed onshore near the city of Zuwara in the early hours of Wednesday.

Thirty-five survivors were found, along with eight bodies, officials said.

A spokesman for the Libyan navy said the survivors were all from sub-Saharan Africa.

Migrant crisis: Italy threatens to shut ports

The warning came as Italy's EU representative, Maurizio Massari, warned in a letter to the bloc the situation had become "unsustainable".

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has accused other European nations of "looking the other way".

An estimated 10,000 people are believed to have attempted the journey from North Africa in the past four days.

More than 73,000 migrants have landed in Italy this year, an increase of 14% on the same period last year.

Migrant crisis: About 100 missing after boat sinks off Libyan coast

The Italian coastguard, which is conducting a search, said eight bodies had been recovered from the water, and four people had been rescued.

But dozens were still believed missing after darkness fell, in difficult search conditions.

The boat sank between Libya and Italy, about 30 miles (50km) from the Libyan coast.

A French naval ship, two trade vessels, and aerial support are involved in the search.

It is unclear what the nationalities of the migrants involved are.

Migrant crisis: Paris's 'Stalingrad' camp clearance begins

Several hundred men began queuing near the Stalingrad metro station before 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT) and the first bus left shortly afterwards.

They are being taken to reception centres in the Paris region, AFP news agency reported.

The operation follows the evacuation of about 7,000 people from the "Jungle" camp in Calais a week ago.

A spokeswoman for the Paris prefecture said the operation was running smoothly.

Migrant crisis: 'Hundreds dead' in shipwrecks off Libya

The UN refugee agency was told the news by survivors brought ashore on the Italian island of Lampedusa, spokeswoman Carlotta Sami said.

Twelve bodies have been recovered.

More than 4,200 migrants have died making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea this year, International Organization of Migration spokesman Leonard Doyle says.

Migrant crisis: Germany warns Turkey against 'blackmailing EU'

Visa-free access to the EU is seen as a reward for Turkey's role in halting an influx of migrants into Europe.

But the move has been delayed because of a row over anti-terror legislation following Turkey's failed coup.

"It's up to Turkey whether there can be visa-travel or not," Mr Gabriel said.

He said Turkey was drastically distancing itself from Europe by "moving towards reintroducing the death penalty" which was a "flagrant contravention of the EU's charter of fundamental rights".

Migrant crisis: Hundreds rescued from boat off Crete

Four ships, helicopters and aeroplanes are engaged in rescue operations, a coastguard spokesman said.

Others are thought to be missing from the boat which was found in international waters, 75 nautical miles south of the Greek island of Crete.

In a separate incident, "more than 100 bodies" were recovered off the coast of Libya, the AP news agency said.

The local head of the International Organisation for Migration Daniel Esdras told the BBC that the capsized vessel off Crete was a 25-metre boat that can typically carry at least 700 people.

EU ministers agree to relocate 120,000 refugees

But in a sign of deep-rooted divisions among the bloc's 28 nations, the ministers who often reach decisions by consensus had to put the plan to a vote. And even with Tuesday's hard-won agreement, the sheer numbers of migrants already in Europe this year — over 477,900 — shows the need for much greater action and wider vision down the road to resolve the migration crisis.

4 European nations strongly rebuff mandatory migrant quotas

But despite his warning, at least four Central European nations firmly rejected an EU proposal for mandatory refugee quotas.

As German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke in Prague, a trickle of migrants marching toward Vienna swelled into a torrent Friday as thousands engulfed a major Austrian highway. Police briefly closed the A4 expressway to Vienna to vehicles because of the potential dangers posed by so many people on its shoulders.

Kerry to meet with lawmakers about migrant crisis abroad

Kerry is scheduled to meet Wednesday with the House and Senate Judiciary committees. Earlier this week, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kerry's predecessor, called for a "concerted global effort" to assist the refugees.