2 500 boat people rescued

– Almost 2 500 boat migrants were rescued in the past three days as this year’s arrivals already far outpace the record-setting 2016.

About 1 100 were plucked from nine flimsy vessels off the coast of Libya on Thursday, the Italian Coast Guard said, after a total of 1 360 were picked up the two preceding days. Since the beginning of the year, there have been more than 10 700 sea arrivals, a third higher than the same period last year.

Last year, a record 181 000 boat migrants reached Italy and more than 5 000 died in the Mediterranean. –