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Each year thousands of men, women and children attempt a dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

Many of them are trying to escape poverty and war in their home countries.

But the journey is very dangerous and hundreds of people have died trying to reach Europe.

Criminal gangs pack too many people into small boats, which leak and often sink. There's nobody to make sure the journey is safe.

The unsafe boats mean people have lost their lives at sea.

Ayshah has been to Sicily, an island near Italy, where rescue boats arrive every day, to find out what's being done to help.

The United Nations says 13,500 migrants have been rescued trying to reach Europe so far this year.

Around 35,000 migrants have arrived from Africa in 2015.

On 18 April a boat carrying up to 900 people sank. Authorities say 28 people were rescued; but many more died.

European leaders are meeting this week to try to work out what to do.

Most migrants travelling to Italy are from Eritrea, Mali and Nigeria. They travel through Africa to Libya.

From Libya they board boats, many of which are not safe, and head to Italy.

There are also a huge number of migrants trying to reach Europe from Syria, trying to escape a civil war in their own country.