Migrants risk death crossing Alps

BARDONECCHIA, Italy - It took Abdullhai almost three years to get from his home in Western Africa to a rocky, snow-covered Alpine mountain pass in the dead of winter, for what he hopes will be the final stage of his journey into France.

The terrain is steep and dangerous and he and a group of five other migrants face risks ranging from losing their footing on steep drops, being struck by falling rocks or succumbing to the-9 C temperatures.

Abdullhai, 38, is one of hundreds of migrants who have attempted to cross from Italy into France through high mountain passes, in a bid to evade increased border security put in place at easier crossing points.