The Italian Coast Guard has rescued 130 irregular migrants from the coast of Crotone in the Calabria region of southern Italy. They were rescued in dangerous conditions amid strong winds and high waves.
According to local media outlet Crotoneze, the migrants were traveling on a fishing boat that departed from the Turkish coast on January 30 and were rescued on Sunday.
Members of the Coast Guard from Crotone and Roccella Jonica carried out a nearly 14-hour-long operation before bringing the migrants to the port of Crotone.
The Coast Guard received a distress call from a satellite phone after the boat ran into trouble near the coast. Following instructions from the Reggio Calabria authorities, two patrol boats launched the rescue operation.
After a long operation, the patrol boats completed a seven-hour journey at sea before reaching the port of Crotone with the rescued migrants.
NGOs Order of Malta, the Italian Relief Corps, and healthcare workers from the International Organization for Migration provided initial medical assistance to the rescued migrants on the boat.
Among the rescued migrants were 27 women and 30 unaccompanied minors. Out of the total 130 migrants, 70 were Afghan nationals, 40 were Iranian, 9 were Iraqi, and 6 were Pakistani.
So far this year, 3,704 asylum seekers have entered Italy through irregular routes—double the number compared to the same period last year. Last year, a total of 66,317 asylum seekers arrived in Italy, nearly half of the previous year’s total.