Italy arrests captain, crew member of deadly migrant boat

Migrants of Libyan boat disaster wait to disembark in Italy — (Image credit: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)

On Tuesday, prosecutors in Italy arrested the Tunisian captain and a Syrian crew member of the boat that capsized over the weekend, sending as many as 900 migrants to a watery grave. Both men were charged with abetting illegal immigration, and the captain was slapped with multiple charges of reckless homicide. Some of the 27 survivors told prosecutors that hundreds of fellow migrants were locked below deck, unable to escape when the boat keeled over.

On Monday, European Union officials had an emergency meeting to address the growing number of migrant boats from North Africa, and the resulting glut of maritime tragedies. This latest disaster off Libya's coast was "a game-changer," Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said at a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. "If Europe doesn't work together history will judge it very badly." EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss how best to address the migration problem.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.