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On Thursday, nearly 1,500 migrants traveling across the Mediterranean were rescued in three boats, independent organizations said.
Italian authorities gave the boats, which belonged to several different aid organizations, permission to enter the port city of Taranto in southern Italy.
In recent weeks, thousands of migrants have arrived on the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Sicily. Many make the dangerous journey in makeshift boats or fishing vessels in poor condition.
So far this year, 38,778 migrants have arrived in Italy by sea, compared with 27,771 in the same period in 2021 and 12,999 in 2020, according to Italy’s interior ministry.
In 2022, the UN migration agency has confirmed 1,234 cases of dead or missing migrants who tried to reach Europe, of which roughly 800 via the Mediterranean Sea.