Italian navy rescues 117 migrants in the Mediterranean

The Italian navy has released a video of its officers rescuing 117 migrants and refugees who were onboard an overcrowded boat crossing the Mediterranean on Saturday.

Regional TV channel Sky News Arabia said yesterday that the rescue operation took place off the coast of Libya, adding that the navy transferred all those onboard the boat to a coastguard vessel to take them to Italy.

The Italian military said more than 7,100 people had been rescued from the international waters since Thursday.

The International Organisation for Migration said earlier that the agreement between Turkey and the European Union to stop the flow of migrants to the Greek islands has led to the reduction of migrant boats arrivals by 98 per cent during the first five months of this year.