Valletta, Malta  - The discovery Thursday of a corpse in the sea off Malta - the third such find in two days - has raised concern of a possible shipwreck involving would-be illegal immigrants.

Army divers were working to recover the body, which appeared to belong to a person of African origin.

The other two bodies found near the Mediterranean island on Tuesday and Wednesday are also believed to belong to people of African origin.

Recent fine weather in the Mediterranean has prompted hundreds of Africans, many fleeing poverty and other hardships at home, to attempt crossing the sea to reach the shores Europe.

Similar journeys are undertaken every year, often in ramshackle vessels which can capsize with fatal results.

Malta, which has been grappling with the problem of illegal immigration for more than a decade, has renewed appeals to other European Union member states for assistance.

During a meeting on Monday, French Immigration Minister Brice Hortefeux promised his Maltese counterparts that immigration will be one of the main priorities when France takes over the EU's rotating presidency in July. (dpa)