'Paradox' third of migrants rescued by NGOs - Frontex (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, April 12 - European Union border agency Frontex on Wednesday said it was a "a paradox" that fully a third of migrant rescues in the Mediterranean were made by NGOs.
    Frontex chief Fabrice Leggeri said this was "quite strange" when "there have never been so many public vessels deployed in the sea by the EU and Italy". The quota picked up by Frontex is only 12% and that of Eunavfor Med only around 10%, he said. NGOs have been accused of helping migrant traffickers by going very close to the Libyan coast in response to migrant phone calls.
    Leggeri said that in several cases Frontex had found that the smugglers had given migrants the phone numbers of NGOs.