Italian coast guard rescues 234 migrants off Sicily coast

Rome, May 29 (IANS/EFE) The Italian coast guard broadcast footage of a rescue operation recovering 234 migrants from a fishing boat in a precarious condition in the Strait of Sicily, 200 km off the coast of the Sicilian city of Augusta.

The coast guard said in a statement on Thursday that the mission occurred on Wednesday night and added that all the passengers, including 187 men, 38 women and nine children, were safely escorted to the Port of Augusta.

The boat was by spotted by an Italian Navy helicopter, after which the coast guard's relief centre ordered two ships to assist the vessel in distress.

African migrants fleeing conflict in their countries continue to wash up on Italian shores, while the journey often leads to disasters like that on April 19, when about 850 people drowned.

The European Union has been considering measures to address the phenomenon and to fight human trafficking networks through the destruction of seized ships.

The European Commission has also proposed for EU countries to share in welcoming 40,000 asylum seekers over the next two years.

--IANS/EFE

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