The Italian coastguard says an estimated 1,700 migrants have been rescued from the Mediterranean over the last two days since Wednesday.
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The Italian coastguard says an estimated 1,700 migrants have been rescued from the Mediterranean over the last two days from Wednesday.
Vessels belonging to non-governmental organisations, national navies and passing cargo ships have been rescuing migrants over the past two years.
The majority are in un-seaworthy smuggling boats launched from Libya on what has become known as the “Central Mediterranean route”.
What happened on Thursday?
- 1,128 survivors plucked from the Mediterranean south of Sicily
- 17 bodies recovered ### What happened on Wednesday?
Coffins waiting in port for the bodies of 22 people that died at sea as #Aquarius prepares disembarkation in Trapani pic.twitter.com/q5PGL4AYVG
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) July 22, 2016
- 22 bodies (21 women and one man) recovered from second boat (Doctors Without Borders)
- 209 rescued (DWB) ### Fact Check
The latest figures (published on 20 July) show 253, 540 people have come to Europe so far in 2016.
- 242,179 by sea
- 9,519 by land
- 2,977 dead or missing
(Info: the International Organisation for Migration)
Italy is the main country of first arrival. In June 2016, migrants came to the country mainly from Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
Arrivals for the same period in Greece, the second country of arrival, are from Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Algeria.
Since the start of 2016, people have arrived in Bulgaria from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
Hungary and Serbia have registered small flows of migrants.