The Italian Navy and Coast Guard
has rescued around 1,500 migrants in waters off southern Italy
in the last few hours, Navy sources said Friday.
The sources added that a total of around 2,000 migrants are
set to arrive in Italy on Friday and Saturday.
Italy is on the front line of the waves of migrants fleeing
North Africa and the Middle East for Europe and who first arrive
on Italy's most southerly shores.
Last week, Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said
that to date this year, more than 20,500 migrants have already
landed on Italy's coasts - an enormous increase over the 2,500
reported during the same period in 2013.
Since he spoke, thousands more have arrived, heightening
the concerns about Italy's ability to cope and calls for the
European Union to do more to help.
The migrants were rescued on Friday as part of the Mare
Nostrum programme launched after some 400 people died in two
migrant-boat disasters near Lampedusa in October 2013.
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