A further 379 migrants were removed from a separate vessel in the same vicinity and will be brought to land shortly. “The rescues [were] complex due to the boats being overloaded with migrants and the unfavourable sea conditions,” the coastguard said in a statement. Another packed fishing boat carrying 487 migrants was escorted into the Calabrian port of Crotone, lashed to a tug to help give it stability. In all, the United Nations estimates 300 migrants have died in the central Mediterranean so far this year. Late last year, it cracked down on charity rescue boats, accusing them of acting as a taxi service for migrants.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 11, 2023 20:47 UTC