Around 112 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya reach Tuscany in Central Italy
Around 112 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya have arrived in Tuscany, in Central Italy. The Ocean Viking ship, operated by the SOS Méditerranée, docked in the port of Livorno on Wednesday morning, local media reported.
According to the NGO, the migrants, mostly from Bangladesh, Egypt, Somalia, and Syria, were rescued in two operations over the weekend.
The group said its crew members stepped in to help a fibreglass boat on Saturday and Sunday night, saving 25 migrants, including three pregnant women. On Sunday morning, an additional 87 migrants were rescued on a wooden boat in cooperation with the Italian police.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 129 people trying to reach Europe have gone missing or died in the Mediterranean so far this year.
Last year, illegal migration into Europe decreased by 38% overall but increased by 18% on the Atlantic route between West Africa and the Canary Islands, according to Frontex, the European Union's border agency.
Frontex attributed the rise in part to more migrants leaving from Mauritania, which has become a primary point of departure for people attempting to reach Europe.
Since it started keeping records in 2014, the IOM has documented at least 5,000 migrants who have perished or disappeared while travelling by ships on the Atlantic route.
However, one NGO group, Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders), claimed the true death toll is much higher and that 2024 alone saw over 10,000 migrants die or go missing while attempting the illegal sea trips to Europe.
The staggering death toll was gathered from data from rescue statistics and migrant families, Caminando Fronteras said.
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