(CNN) -- Desperation, sophisticated smuggling operations and the emergence of a small Italian island as a migrant destination provide the sad backdrop to Monday's tragedy on the Mediterranean Sea -- the capsizing of a boat carrying African migrants from Libya to Italy. Libyan police officers help rescued migrants off an overcrowded boat that arrived this week in Tripoli. Jean-Philippe Chauzy, spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, said Tuesday that Libya for years has been a destination for migrants from the rest of Africa. Its relatively successful economy is a magnet for people from impoverished regions, and its proximity makes it a logical jumping-off point for Europe.
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Libya has long been a destination for migrants from the rest of Africa
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Many African migrants try to find work in industries such as construction
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Others attempt to move on to Europe, with Italy a common destination
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Strict border controls often prompt migrants to take other dangerous routes
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While some @placeholder hope to settle in Libya, many others have their eyes on moving onward to Europe.
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While some Africans hope to settle in Libya, many others have their eyes on moving onward to @placeholder.
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Last year, 36,000 people arrived in @placeholder by sea from North Africa.
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Some 75 percent of them applied for asylum, and about 50 percent of those received some form of international protection from the @placeholder authorities.