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Migrants Arrive in Lampedusa After Series of Rescues in Mediterranean

The Italian Coast Guard released video on May 25 showing the arrival of a large number of migrants in Lampedusa aboard two patrol boats. Their arrival on the Italian island, located about 138 km (85 miles) east of Tunisia and 220 km (136 miles) south of Sicily, comes after a series of rescues in the Mediterranean earlier in the week.

According to reports, between 134 and 150 people arrived in the port on May 25.

Sicilian media reported that one boat was carrying 15 women and six men who had sustained burns possible caused by a gas explosion.

Video from the Italian Navy released on May 23 and 24 showed assistance being provided to hundreds of migrants crammed into rubber dinghies and rickety fishing boats.

Italian media reported on May 23 that some 2,000 migrants were rescued from vessels in the Strait of Sicily during several hours of operations involving ships from Italy, Malta, Ireland and the humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières.

Irish media reported that the Irish naval vessel LÉ Róisín was involved in the rescue of 274 migrants off the coast of Tripoli on Monday before being reassigned to help in the rescue of another boat of migrants thought to have been carrying 125 people. Credit: YouTube/Guardia Costiera