Churches on the Italian Island of Sicily have hastily replaced pews with beds in a bid to accommodate the stream of migrants fleeing Africa and the Middle East, government centers simply cannot cope.<br /><br />On Saturday alone over 1,800 people were reportedly rescued and brought to shore.<br /><br />Father Rosario Francolino, spoke about the local efforts being made amidst this growing crisis:<br /><br />“We’ve substituted the altar with beds. I think this is the most beautiful mass that this community could celebrate in these days. Palermo’s community is alive to events and showing great interest.” <br /><br />This Church alone has received 700 migrants since Sunday.<br /><br />To make the perilous crossing from Africa, people must navigate treacherous waters at the whim of the high seas and human traffickers.<br /><br />A 20-year-old man from Mali spoke of how his boat filled with water, with tragic consequences:<br /><br /> “My cousin didn’t know how to swim, I tried to save him but he didn’t know how to swim. He couldn’t and he died”<br /><br />The death of 300 people near Lampedusa last October prompted the government to increase coastguard patrols.<br /><br />But critics now say the move has only spurred on human traffickers. Already this year 50,000 Migrants have been brought to shore, more than 2013’s total.<br /><br />Italian ministers stress the EU must share some of the burden.
