On Saturday night, a boat—carrying as many as 700 people—may have capsized in the Mediterranean Sea. Only a few dozen have been rescued. Officials fear that it could be one of the worst disasters ever involving migrants from North Africa crossing the Mediterranean in an effort to reach Europe. At a press conference this morning, the prime ministers of Italy and Malta revealed that rescuers were also responding to two more distress calls from two vessels carrying more than 450 people. As of this weekend, at least 1,500 people have died attempting to flee the region for Europe, and, according to The New York Times, “Officers intercepted 10,445 migrants from Jan. 1 to March 31, compared with 2,863 in the same period in 2014.” Though many of the migrants are believed to be fleeing the political turmoil and violence in countries including Libya, the president of the European Parliament said human traffickers and “the slave drivers of the 21st century” are responsible for the deaths this weekend. EU leaders will meet later this week to discuss the migrant crisis …
