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ITALIAN and French authorities rescued more than 3,600 migrants on Saturday after traffickers’ boats ran into trouble off Libya.
Italy’s coastguard and navy took most of the migrants to Italian ports after 13 search-and-rescue operations.
A French ship rescued about 220 people and handed them over to Italian authorities.
The migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, were brought to the Italian island of Lampedusa, where they will be put up temporarily.
Some 3,690 people were picked up during operations co-ordinated by the Italian coastguard.
But while they said it was a “very busy day,” it was not a record.
The coastguard co-ordinated the rescue of 3,791 people on April 12 and another 2,850 the next day.
In addition to the French patrol boat, four Italian coastguard ships, two naval vessels, two cargo ships, two customs ships and two tugs were mobilised in Saturday’s operation.
