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10,000 migrants rescued from Mediterranean in just four days

Nearly 10,000 migrants have been rescued from boats travelling across the Mediterranean to Italy in the past four days alone, the Italian Coast Guard has revealed.

Official estimates suggesting at least 31,500 migrants have entered Italy and Greece since the start of the year as increasing governmental instability and violence in Africa has prompted a surge in numbers fleeing to Europe.

Another 900 are believed to have drowned on the crossing, including 400 people aboard a boat which capsized on Monday.

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More migrants than ever sailing from Africa to Europe

The tide of desperate migrants and refugees travelling from Libya to Italy shows no sign of stopping, with more overloaded boats being intercepted by authorities every day.

ITV News Correspondent John Ray reports from Sicily:

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