Italy's coast guard said
onTuesday 1 569 migrants had been rescued in 11 separate operations in
the Strait of Sicily, as a wave of boats departing from the Libyan coast
intensifies.
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| Rescued migrants sit in a Italian Navy's boat in the Sicily channel |
The "Diciotti" vessel came to the rescue of four
inflatable dinghies and a boat, bringing a total of 774 people to
safety, the coast guard said in a statement. Meanwhile, three
Italian navy ships rescued over 660 migrants in various operations while
a German military ship picked up another 105.
Close to 1 500
people were rescued in the Mediterranean over the weekend, adding to
fears that calmer seas at the onset of spring is encouraging greater
numbers of migrants to attempt the perilous crossing after a winter
lull.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), about 17 500 people have arrived in Italy since the start of the year.
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