More than 1,100 migrants rescued off Italian coast

LAMPEDUSA , Italy, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- During a 24-hour period, the Italian Navy rescued 1,123 people from eight inflatable boats and one barge approximately 120 miles southeast of the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Of the 1,123 rescued, 47 are women -- four of whom are pregnant -- and 50 are children. All of those rescued are believed to be migrants who traveled from sub-Saharan Africa seeking entry into Europe.

The rescue operation began Wednesday and utilized both navy ships and helicopters. The migrants were transported to the San Marco, an amphibious assault ship, and were expected to arrive at the Sicilian port of August sometime Friday morning. Any claims of asylum will be evaluated by the Italian authorities.

Illegal migration from North Africa to neighboring Europe is at an all-time high.

In January, Italian authorities rescued more than 1,000 migrants in two separate operations over a 24-hour period off the coast of Lampedusa.

Following a deadly October 2013 shipwreck off the same coast that drowned more than 400 migrants, Italy launched operation "Mare Nostrum" to mobilize warships and aircraft to prevent similar tragedies from reoccurring.

Lampedusa is the closest Italian island to North Africa, where many migrants and refugees seek entry to the European Union.

[BBC]