Nearly 1,500 people rescued off Libya's coast in 48 hours

European leaders fear a recent deal with Ankara to stem flow of migrants arriving from Turkey could increase attempts to cross from Libya 

A navy sailor throws a life vest to people on a stricken dinghy off the Libyan coast (AFP)

Monday 28 March 2016

European leaders fear that a recent deal with Ankara to stem the flow of migrants arriving from Turkey could increase attempts to cross from Libya

The Italian coastguard has rescued nearly 1,500 people, including many women and children, off the coast of Libya over the past two days, officials said on Monday. 

A total of 1,482 people were picked up in about a dozen rescue operations at sea over the course of Sunday and Monday, according to the Italian coastguard that coordinated the search and rescue efforts. 

They did not release the nationalities of the people who were picked up, or specify what happened to them after they were rescued.

They said 730 people were rescued on Sunday and 752 on Monday. They did not provide a breakdown of the number of children and women on board.

The UN refugee agency said last week that nearly 14,500 migrants had arrived in Italy via Libya since the start of the year, up 42.5 percent on the same period a year earlier.

Libya has long been a stepping stone for people seeking safety and a better life in Europe, with the western end of the Libyan coast just 500 kilometres from the Italian island of Lampedusa.

European leaders fear that a recent deal with Ankara to stem the flow of migrants arriving in Greece via Turkey could increase attempts to cross from Libya, which remains riven by chaos after years of political disputes and growing militancy.

Last October the UN approved a plan put forward by the EU that would see a military operation mounted to seize and destroy the rickety boats used by smugglers to ferry people across from Libya into Europe.

The UK-led military operation - known as Operation Sophia - is only authorised to operate in international waters after politicians in Libya rejected the plan.

Earlier this month a UK source said that people picked up on the high seas as part of the operation are taken to Italy, but that the EU is keen to see a deal with the Libyan government to return them to the North African hub.