By MarEx 2015-08-11 19:31:22
The Italian Coast Guard rescued more than 1,500 migrants in seven different operations on August 10. The rescues occurred throughout the day off of the Libyan coast.
Over 200 women and 40 children were among those rescued. Irish and Swedish vessels also aided in the rescues. The rescued migrants were on board four inflatable boats and three barges. Four of the human traffickers involved have been arrested and authorities are searching for more.
Migrant rescues are becoming a near daily occurrence in the Mediterranean. On August 5, a fishing boat carrying about 700 migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea. More than 200 of the North African migrants died in the incident.
According to the International Organization for Migration, 2015 has had an inordinate amount of undocumented migration. More than 900,000 people have attempted to travel to Europe and over 2,000 have died.
This post was sourced from Maritime Executive: View original article here.