2,300 migrants saved in Mediterranean

Rome May 18 (IANS/AKI) Around 2 300 migrants were rescued in 22 operations in the Mediterranean Italian coastguard stated on Thursday.

The migrants were picked up from 12 inflatable rubber dinghies and 10 small boats by vessels from the Italian coastguard from the European Union s anti-smuggling force Eunavformed and charity rescue ships the statement said. Italian coastguard coordinated the operations the statement added giving no information on the migrants nationalities ages or sex. A total 53 912 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2017 through May 14 with nearly 85 per cent arriving in Italy the International Organisation for Migration said on Tuesday. The number of people who arrived in Italy through May 14 was 45 118 up from 32 292 over the same period last year according to IOM. There were 1 316 fatalities through May 14 around two-thirds of the 1 905 deaths worldwide over the same period IOM said. --IANS/AKI vgu/