CAIRO: A total of 359 migrants arrived at the Italian Palermo coast Thursday after being rescued the day before off the Libyan coast by an Italian coast guard vessel, according to MENA.
The Syrian, Eritrean and Egyptian migrants include 61 women, one of whom is pregnant; the ship Diciotti rescued 432 migrants Tuesday at the strait of Sicily.
Dozens are occasionally stopped by Egyptian coast guards before sailing to European countries, especially Italy, through Egypt’s Mediterranean shores. Italian authorities have cooperated with Egyptian counterparts in deporting those who illegally reached Italy via the sea.
Around 2,000 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of this year, while 3,279 drowned in 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration.