Thousands of migrants rescued from Mediterranean Sea for second consecutive day

At least 3,000 people were rescued Saturday attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya, as the influx of new arrivals making the arduous journey to Europe’s doorstep increases during warmer months.

The rescue brings the total number of migrants helped in the past week in the central Mediterranean up to around 5,600, after 2,600 migrants were picked up by the Italian Coast Guard, the Italian and British Navies, merchant ships, and vessels operated by non-government organizations.

Jugend Rette, a German NGO involved in the rescuing of migrants, told AFP that good spring weather has led to increased numbers of people attempting the dangerous crossing in recent days, Deutsche Welle reports.

“We have never had to deal with so many people at the same time,” said Pauline Schmidt, spokesperson for Jugend Rette.

Six migrants were found dead during the rescue mission, which involved 25 operations off the coast of Libya on Saturday, including Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), Sea Eye, and SOS Mediterranee, along with the Italian Coast Guard and Jugend Rette.

SOS Mediterranee reported one man was found dead on the dinghies and rafts while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said five drowned.

Fifteen missions were still underway as night fell on Saturday, with 1,000 migrants believed to still be stranded in rubber dinghies and other crafts awaiting rescue.
 [rt.com]
16/4/17
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Related:

• 97 migrants missing after boat sinks off Libya
• Libya says EU naval operation 'encourages' migrants

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***Dieu Créateur, considérez que nous ne nous entendons pas nous-même et que nous ne savons pas ce que nous voulons, et que nous nous éloignons infiniment de ce que nous désirons