Around 2,000 migrants arriving in Italy - update

(ANSA) - Rome, April 25 - 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.