Nearly 3,700 migrants were rescued from
boats near the coast of Libya on Saturday and early on Sunday, the Italian
coastguard said.
A spokesman said rescue operations were
likely to continue throughout Sunday. All of those pulled from boats were being
taken to Italy.
Italian authorities said the migrants were
rescued by Italian and French navy vessels in 17 separate operations.
At least 1,750 people have died this year
trying to cross the Mediterranean.
The number is a 20-fold increase on the same
period in 2014, when 96 people died. Many more migrants are expected to make
the crossing as smugglers take advantage of calmer weather.
At an emergency meeting last month to
discuss the crisis, European Union leaders said they would triple the funding
for rescue operations run by EU border agency Frontex, and threatened to target
smugglers' boats with military strikes.
……..FAITH GABRIELLA
