Italian authorities rescue 220 migrants crossing from Libya

Italian authorities intercepted a fishing vessel crossing the Mediterranean about 50 nautical miles off southern Italy and rescued 220 migrants who had departed from Libya, as reported by Libya Review on February 12th.

Migrants from Eritrea, Somalia and Bangladesh were attempting to reach Europe when their vessel was found in international waters amid challenging sea conditions, Italian officials said. They were taken to an Italian port for identification, medical and legal procedures, including potential asylum applications.

The latest rescue comes amid ongoing Mediterranean crossings from Libya, including a shipwreck off Libya’s coast that left at least 53 migrants dead or missing, reported on February 9th, and a Libyan Red Crescentoperation that rescued 45 migrants, reported on February 6th.

Libya Review, Maghrebi.org