The Italian government has asked the EU to help it deal with illegal immigration following the sinking of a boat carrying up to 500 asylum seekers.

Around 300 people are feared dead after the vessel caught fire and capsized off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa.

150 others were rescued but it is feared the death toll could rise still further.

Its one of the worst refugee disasters in the Mediterranean.

Survivors told rescuers they set fire to a blanket on the boat to attract the attention of the coastguard after their vessel began taking on water.

The fire spread quickly, and in the ensuing panic the boat flipped over.

Italy is holding a national day of mourning today.

More than 500 people were on the boat which capsized after it caught fire off the island of Lampedusa yesterday.

The vessel's captain, a 35-year-old Tunisian, was arrested by Italian police after he made it to shore.

Nick Squires is Rome correspondent for The Telegraph.

He told The Pat Kenny Show here on Newstalk that Italy has been seeking help with this issue for years.