Hundreds of migrants have arrived at the Sicilian port of Pozzallo after being rescued at sea. The Dignity 1 ship, ran by aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres, returned the migrants to port, raising the total number of migrants rescued in the last 24 hours to over 2,500.
One body, believed to be that of a migrant killed during a shooting incident off the Libyan coast, was brought to shore before the other migrants disembarked. Another migrant was injured by a gunshot wound to the calf and taken to the island of Lampedusa for treatment.
Foreign ministers across the European Union agreed on 22 June to launch a naval operation against gangs smuggling migrants to Europe from Libya. The mission will be solely intelligence-gathering for now, until given authority by the United Nations.
The naval operation is part of an increased European response to a surge of migrants from Africa and the Middle East making the dangerous Mediterranean crossing from Libya to Europe. Many have drowned, including around 800 killed in a shipwreck in April.
