Hundreds of migrant boats landed in Lampedusa on Sunday, taking the number of people at the Italian island’s migrant hotspot up to around 800.
Six boats coming from Libya, each carrying between 45 and 84 people for a combined total of 340, were assisted by Italian finance police and port authority vessels.
The migrants said they were from Egypt, Bangladesh, Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Morocco and Pakistan.
Another 48 subsequently landed at the nearby Isola dei Conigli (Rabbit Island) and were taken to the hotspot.
Lampedusa has been at the centre of international attention in recent months due to a big rise in the number of migrant boats landing on Italy’s southernmost island.
The Italian interior ministry said Friday that 142,384 people have arrived in Italy so far this year on migrant boats, up from 82,152 in the same period in 2022.