Roundup: Italy rescues over 2,400 migrants off Sicily in 48 hours

The Italian coast guard managed the rescue of over 2,400 migrants in the central Mediterranean in the last 48 hours, officials said.

Some 595 people were saved in five operations launched in the Strait of Sicily over the night between Monday and Tuesday, a coast guard spokesman told Xinhua.

The missions involved two coast guard vessels, one Italy's navy ship, and a fourth Norwegian vessel taking part in the European Union (EU) Triton mission. Another nine operations were launched later on Tuesday, and were still on-going in the late afternoon, the official added.

It was not immediately clear how many people were involved in this latest round of rescuing, but migrants have been detected sailing on board of both overcrowded small crafts and inflatable boats.

The Italian coast guard had already supervised eight operations in the Strait of Sicily on Monday, with 1,850 people rescued overall. A coast guard patrol boat had intercepted two small crafts carrying 740 migrants, while an Italian navy ship had assisted two dinghies with 255 people aboard, according to an official statement.

A merchant ship had been involved in the rescue of 117 people sailing on a craft, and a German navy unit had finally assisted two migrant boats and a small craft with 738 migrants on board.

Italian authorities and volunteer groups have recently reported an increase in the number of sea arrivals, which would result from a new major wave of boats departing from Libya.

The North African country lies some 300 km from the most southern coasts of Italy. Italian officials warned the recent closure of the so-called Balkan route might force migrants and asylum seekers to try other ways to reach Europe, including the dangerous journey from the African coasts through the central and southern Mediterranean.

In March, the EU struck a deal with Turkey to stem the flow of people crossing from the Aegean Sea, and Greece has indeed witnessed a drastic reduction in the arrivals since it entered into force.

Some 19,934 people have arrived by sea to Italy up to April 11, according to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. At least 716 people were also reported dead or missing up to the same date.

There have been over 173,700 arrivals by sea in Europe since January 2016, and 55 percent of them were women and children, the UNHCR added. The vast majority originated from war-torn Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

On Tuesday, Italian media also paid close attention to latest events at the Brenner Pass crossing at the border with Austria, which is a key mountain pass between the two countries.

Austria has in fact announced tougher border controls would be implemented at the Brenner Pass starting from June 1, as a response to the European migrant crisis.

After the closure of the Balkan route, Austrian authorities said they fear up to 300,000 people might arrive to Italy this year, and try to continue the journey towards northern Europe from here.

Austria also planned the construction of a fence along the southern border with Italy, even though building works have not yet started. The move has caused concerns in Italy.

"The construction of a barrier is a serious mistake that violates European rules," Italian Under-Secretary for EU Affairs Sandro Gozi said late on Monday. Enditem