LAMPEDUSA , Italy, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- About 6,500 migrants to Europe were rescued off the Libyan coast in 40 coordinated missions, the Italian Coast Guard reported Tuesday.
The action Monday, 12 miles off the coast of Sabratha, Libya, pushed the number of people rescued in the Mediterranean Sea and taken to Italy beyond 100,000 in the past year. Most began their voyage from Libya, which has become a hub for refugees of violence and poverty in the Middle East, Eritrea and Somalia since a land route from Turkey to EU nations was closed in March.