REUTERS
The Norwegian ship the Siem Pilot rescued more than 700 migrants in three boats on Monday in the southern part of the Mediterranean.
The rescued migrants were sent to the southern coast of Italy, according to Reuters. Their nationality is not specified, but it is reported that most of them are fleeing to Europe from North Africa and the Middle East.
After a series of shipwrecks with migrants as the result of which more than 1,200 people died in the Mediterranean in April 2015, the EU authorities decided to boost naval search missions to stop the flow of refugees and combat trafficking.
The plan provides for strengthening of the Triton and Poseidon programs of naval patrols in the Mediterranean, which will monitor ships suspected to be carrying illegal immigrants.