Neighbouring country Austria threatened to shut its borders with Italy in response

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Migration issues are serious for Italy, which is one of the main entry points for people travelling to Europe via north Africa.

The Mediterranean country has complained that it has been left alone to face the increasing number of migrants arriving along the coast.

So far this year more than 93,000 mainly sub-Saharan African and Bangladeshi migrants have arrived by boat in southern Italy, a 17 per cent increase when compared to the same period last year, the Italian interior ministry said.

At the shortest crossing the Italian coast lies roughly 290 miles from Libya, a fairly lawless country which has become a hotbed of people smugglers.