An Italian Coast Guard on Sunday rescued 130 migrants and refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea aboard an overcrowded fishing boat in poor conditions.
The boat had left Turkey on Thursday and was located 110 miles (around 200 kilometres) south of the southern Italian city of Crotone.
The rescue operation took place 90 miles southeast of Isola di Capo Rizzuto, in the province of Crotone. Two Coast Guard patrol boats were deployed to reach the vessel, navigating through a challenging environment with strong winds and waves up to four meters, according to the Coast Guard.
The rescue operation was complex due to the rough and bad weather conditions, as the coast guard reported. When the boat was located, there was a force 5 swell with winds of 45 knots and waves six meters high. Coastguard personnel transferred the migrants to a patrol boat, which arrived in the port of Crotone after a seven-hour journey.
The group of migrants, which included 27 women and 30 minors, six of whom were unaccompanied, consisted mainly of Afghans and Iranians. A pregnant woman and a disabled man were taken to the hospital. All those rescued were suffering from hypothermia. They were accommodated in a migrant centre.
Once on scene, the crew transferred all passengers to safety.
3,673 people have crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa to Italy so far this year.
Since the beginning of 2025, 3368 migrants have arrived in Italy after crossing the Mediterranean, compared to 2258 in the same period in 2024. Most of the migrants arriving in Italy this year come from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Syria, according to the Italian Ministry of the Interior. Italy is currently taking care of 140,000 asylum seekers.