Italy is asking the European Union to do more to address a migrant crisis following a series of shipwrecks that have killed hundreds of people heading for Europe from Africa.

Italy, Greece and other southern European countries are facing a surge in the number of migrants fleeing instability in Africa and the civil war in Syria. The flow of people has increased since the Arab Spring uprisings began in the regions.

Between September last year and August this year, about 24,000 migrants or refugees reached Italy. That's up 40 percent from a year earlier.

One reception center on Italy's southernmost island has been crowded with migrants to almost three times capacity.
The Italian government plans to bolster rescue operations using military reconnaissance planes to detect distress calls from ships as quickly as possible and prevent further tragedies.

And the European Union has announced a plan to provide an emergency fund of 40 million dollars to Italy to help deal with the migrant surge.

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has pressed for the issue to be included on the EU agenda and discussed by EU member states.

On October 3rd, a ship packed with more than 500 migrants from African nations capsized off southern Italy, killing more than 300 people.

Last Friday, two vessels carrying Syrian refugees capsized in the Mediterranean, killing more than 40 people.

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