Concern grows about "Ghost Ships" carrying migrants

(Vatican Radio) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday there is a new disturbing trend of ships carrying migrants on the Mediterranean Sea being  abandoned by their crews.

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Most of the migrants are refugees from the Syrian conflict, although many others come from Libya and other countries.

The vessels, which are usually set on autopilot courses towards the Italian coastline, have gained the nickname  "Ghost Ships".

In the past few weeks, two “Ghost Ships” have arrived in Italy. The Blue Sky M, which carried 736 people, came to shore on New Year’s Eve in Apulia. Just days later, The Ezadeen, which carred 359 people, towed to Calabria.

Through the first 11 months of 2014 Italy reported 163,368 migrants had been rescued at sea, about three times the total arriving in 2013.  More than 3,000 migrants went missing on the Mediterranean during 2014, are assumed to have drowned.