Some 6,500 migrants were saved off the Libyan coast in 40 separate rescue missions on Monday, the Italian coast guard said on Twitter, in one of the largest influxes of refugees in a single day so far this year. PHOTO: REUTERS
Sixteen separate missions were involved in rescuing the migrants, including Italy's coast guard and navy, the European Union's anti people-smuggling mission, two humanitarian organizations and two merchant ships, the coast guard said.
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It did not say where the migrants, who were traveling in 14 rubber and two wooden boats, originally came from. Most arriving in Italy tend to be from sub-Saharan Africa.
Continued lawlessness in Libya and calmer seas this week have contributed to a spike in the number of people making the risky crossing from North Africa to Europe's southern frontier.
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Italy has become the main focus for seaborne migration to Europe since the European Union struck a deal with Turkey in March to stem flows into Greece.
Around 105,000 people arrived in Italy between the beginning of this year and Aug. 26, according to the International Organization for Migration.
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