More than 5,800 migrants have been rescued and 10
bodies recovered off the Libyan coast over the weekend,
the Italian coastguard says.
The survivors were picked up from wooden and rubber
boats, in 17 separate operations by Italian and French
ships.
The migrants are now being taken to Italy. Rescue
missions are continuing.
At least 1,750 people have died this year trying to cross
the Mediterranean, a 20-fold increase on the same
period in 2014 when 96 people died.
The final number of people rescued over the weekend is
expected to rise. The busiest two days for rescues so
far this year were April 12 and 13, when 6,500 people
were picked up.
Many more migrants are expected to make the crossing
in the coming weeks as smugglers take advantage of
calmer weather.
In a separate incident on Sunday, three people died
when a boat carrying migrants to Europe sank off
Egypt's coast, according to Egyptian state media.
Thirty-one migrants were reportedly rescued.
The Italian coastguard rescues 397 migrants on one
boat on Saturday
Rescued migrants arrive on the island of Lampedusa,
southern Italy, on Saturday
At an emergency meeting last month to discuss the
crisis, European Union leaders said they would triple the
funding for rescue operations run by EU border agency
Frontex, and threatened to target smugglers' boats with
military strikes.
Italy abandoned its Mare Nostrum search-and-rescue
mission last year after some EU members - including
the UK - said they could not afford to fund it.
The decision was widely criticised in April after more
than 800 people died when a single boat sank - the
deadliest capsize recorded in the Mediterranean.
Some of the 27 survivors of the accident described
being beaten by smugglers in an attempt to load more
migrants on to the boat
The overloaded vessel crashed into a cargo ship shortly
after leaving Libya, causing panic on board. The dead
were mostly Syrians, Eritreans, and Somalis - adults
and children.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said "much more"
needs to be done beyond the EU's current spending
plans to tackle the migration crisis in the
Mediterranean.
bodies recovered off the Libyan coast over the weekend,
the Italian coastguard says.
The survivors were picked up from wooden and rubber
boats, in 17 separate operations by Italian and French
ships.
The migrants are now being taken to Italy. Rescue
missions are continuing.
At least 1,750 people have died this year trying to cross
the Mediterranean, a 20-fold increase on the same
period in 2014 when 96 people died.
The final number of people rescued over the weekend is
expected to rise. The busiest two days for rescues so
far this year were April 12 and 13, when 6,500 people
were picked up.
Many more migrants are expected to make the crossing
in the coming weeks as smugglers take advantage of
calmer weather.
In a separate incident on Sunday, three people died
when a boat carrying migrants to Europe sank off
Egypt's coast, according to Egyptian state media.
Thirty-one migrants were reportedly rescued.
The Italian coastguard rescues 397 migrants on one
boat on Saturday
Rescued migrants arrive on the island of Lampedusa,
southern Italy, on Saturday
At an emergency meeting last month to discuss the
crisis, European Union leaders said they would triple the
funding for rescue operations run by EU border agency
Frontex, and threatened to target smugglers' boats with
military strikes.
Italy abandoned its Mare Nostrum search-and-rescue
mission last year after some EU members - including
the UK - said they could not afford to fund it.
The decision was widely criticised in April after more
than 800 people died when a single boat sank - the
deadliest capsize recorded in the Mediterranean.
Some of the 27 survivors of the accident described
being beaten by smugglers in an attempt to load more
migrants on to the boat
The overloaded vessel crashed into a cargo ship shortly
after leaving Libya, causing panic on board. The dead
were mostly Syrians, Eritreans, and Somalis - adults
and children.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said "much more"
needs to be done beyond the EU's current spending
plans to tackle the migration crisis in the
Mediterranean.
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