The rescued migrants were in 15 vessels including toy paddleboats and a jet ski and included 35 children and a baby. The UN says more than 9,000 people have arrived in Spain so far this year - three times as many as the previous year. Pressure on ItalyThe numbers heading for Spain are dwarfed by the boatloads that have sailed to Italy this year. In June, about 5,000 people were rescued in one day in the Mediterranean off Libya, Italian coastguards said. But in July the number crossing to Italy dropped by 57% compared with June, according to the EU's border agency, Frontex.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 17, 2017 01:21 UTC