Italy needs more support as it deals with large numbers of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Africa, the UN’s refugee agency has said.
“What is happening in front of our eyes in Italy is an unfolding tragedy,” Filippo Grandi said.
“This cannot be an Italian problem alone,” he added.
Italy has threatened to stop vessels of other countries from bringing migrants to its ports, as it warned the EU the situation was unsustainable.
On Thursday, the European Union’s migration commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, promised more financial support for Italy, and urged member states to demonstrate greater solidarity.
The interior ministers of France, Germany and Italy are due to discuss the issue at a meeting in Paris on Sunday.
Mr Grandi, who is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said 12,600 migrants and refugees had arrived in Italy last weekend alone.
In total, he said, 83,650 people have reached Italy by sea since the beginning of the year – a 20% increase on the same period in 2016.
An estimated 2,030 have lost their lives in the Mediterranean this year.
