Some 1000 refugees, migrants rescued off Italy

About 1,000 people, including refugee families and unaccompanied children, were rescued Thursday, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday.

In one operation, some 500 people travelling in two fishing boats that had departed several days earlier from Egypt were rescued off Sicily, southeast of Cape Passero, UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler told reporters during a regular press briefing.

He cited the Italian coastguard as saying that among this group, there are some Syrians and Iraqis, as well as people from other nationalities.

"Disembarkation of the 1,000 people rescued yesterday is taking place today at four different locations in southern Italy and will probably last the whole day. UNHCR staff will be present and will be giving information and assistance to the persons rescued," he said.

According to the latest figure of the International Organisation for Migration, 188,075 refugees and migrants have reached Europe by sea this year, up from 91,860 in the first five months of 2015.

Standing at more than double last year's entries into Europe, latest migration figures reveal that the fatality rate has significantly decreased.

While 1,357 migrants have drowned crossing the Mediterranean through May 11 this year, the number of deaths over the same period in 2015 amounted to 1,792.

Source: XINHUA