Italy rescues 1,600 boat migrants over weekend

29 Jun 20140 afp.com

The Italian Navy rescues a boatload of migrants on June 14, 2014More than 1,600 migrants were rescued by the Italian navy and coast guard this weekend, authorities said Sunday, as the annual arrivals toll crept towards a record high.Seven boats, many of them carrying children, were intercepted in a 24-hour period between Saturday and Sunday, bringing the total number of migrants arriving on Italian shores this year to above 60,000.The number is expected to soar past the record 63,000 set in 2011 during the Arab Spring uprisings.Some experts even believe the number could reach 100,000, with warm weather encouraging migrants from north Africa, and particularly from Libya, to make the crossing.

via AFP.com.