Italian coastguards rescue more than 1,800 migrants

Video footage taken on Wednesday showing the ongoing Mediterranean rescue operations of migrants in unseaworthy vessels has been released by the Italian coastguard.

In total more than 1,800 migrants were rescued in 12 separate operations and three bodies were recovered.

The International Organization for Migration said around 105,000 migrants had reached Italy by boat so far in 2016, many of them setting sail from Libya.

An estimated 2,726 men, women and children have died over the same period trying to make the journey.

Italy has been on the front line of Europe’s migrant crisis for three years, and more than 400,000 have successfully made the voyage to Italy from North Africa since the beginning of 2014, fleeing violence and poverty.