Off the wire
• Filthy, polluted cybersphere not in anyone's interests, Xi says  • Roundup: Cuba's Communist Party congress approves new reforms, slams Obama visit  • China, the Netherlands to strengthen cooperation on security, justice  • Texas governor signs disaster declaration after flooding kills at least 5  • Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for attack on gov't office  • Mauritania police disperse anti-slavery protesters: eyewitnesses  • Polish foreign minister to visit China  • Chinese foreign minister to visit Brunei, Cambodia, Laos  • Roundup: China's top political advisor visits Ghana to boost ties  • Cuba dismisses report on drug container shipped from island  
You are here: 　 Home

French navy rescues 214 migrants in Mediterranean

Xinhua, April 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

The French navy rescued hundreds of migrants who spent several days in the Mediterranean in an attempt to enter Europe, government officials said on Tuesday.

As part of Frontex, NATO's initiative to stem migrant flows, a French naval vessel patrolling the eastern Mediterranean on Monday rescued 214 migrants including 45 women and 63 minors, Finance Minister Michel Sapin and Junior Minister for Budget Christian Eckert said in a joint statement.

The migrants were found in a boat 450 km southeast of the Sicily coast and were mainly from Sudan, Eritrea, Syria and Egypt, they added.

The navy handed the rescued people to Italian authorities on Monday evening, according to the statement. Endit