Italy has rescued about 4,000 immigrants trying to cross the Mediterranean by boats in the past two days, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said yesterday.

Mr Alfano said: “The landings are non-stop and the emergency is increasingly glaring.

“Right now, two merchant ships are rescuing two boats with 300 and 361 people aboard. It appears there’s at least one corpse aboard.”

The minister estimated that 15,000 migrants had been rescued so far this year and warned that between 300,000 and 600,000 migrants were ready to set off from Libya.

“Europe must take the situation in hand. It cannot say that, having given €80 million (£66m) to border control agency Frontex, the problem has been resolved.

“There are death merchants who profit from this people trafficking and send out requests for help just 30 to 40 miles after leaving the Libyan coast.”

Italy launched a beefed-up sea rescue operation last year after a smuggling boat capsized off the island of Lampedusa, killing 360 people.