<\/a>Italian authorities say they have rescued more than 2,000 illegal migrants, many from North Africa, off Sicily’s coast in the past 48 hours.<\/p>\nThe announcement came a day after some 500 people forced their way into Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla.<\/p>\n
In response, the Spanish government has doubled the number of security forces there.<\/p>\n
Every year, thousands of migrants try to reach Europe via Spain and Italy.<\/p>\n
Many of those making the dangerous journey come from Eritrea and Somalia.<\/p>\n
But in the past year the numbers from Syria have also soared because of the civil war there.<\/p>\n
‘Good sailing weather’<\/b><\/p>\n
Italian authorities said the migrants arrived on 13 overcrowded boats.<\/p>\n
Each of them was packed with men, women and children from countries including Eritrea and Syria, the BBC’s Alan Johnston, in Rome, reports.<\/p>\n
Most were picked up by Italian navy and coastguard crews, but two private vessels also got involved in the wide-ranging rescue effort in waters south of Sicily.<\/p>\n
The people traffickers who organise the dangerous sea crossings from places like the ports of Libya, seem to have been taking advantage of a spell of good, calm sailing weather, a BBC correspondent says.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Spain has increased police presence in Melilla to 150 officers, Reuters reports.<\/p>\n
The move follows the biggest attempt by migrants to storm the enclave’s 12km (7.5-mile) security fence in almost a decade.<\/p>\n
Together with a second Spanish enclave, Ceuta, Melilla represents the EU’s only land border with Africa.<\/p>\n
Both Spain and Italy have repeatedly called for help from other EU states to deal with the migrant influx.<\/p>\n
Latest figures from the European Union’s border control agency show more than 20,000 people tried to reach Italian shores in 2013.<\/p>\n
This is thought to account for almost half of the EU’s illegal migration.<\/p>\n
Last October more than 400 people drowned in two shipwrecks near the island of Lampedusa, the closest Italian territory to North Africa.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Italian authorities say they have rescued more than 2,000 illegal migrants, many from North Africa, off Sicily’s coast in the past 48 hours. The announcement came a day after some 500 people forced their way into Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla. In response, the Spanish government has doubled the number of security forces there. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":7390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[38,14],"yoast_head":"\n
More than 2,000 migrants rescued off Italy in 48 hours - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n