MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Europe's external borders agency Frontex has rescued 1,300 migrants off the coast of Libya since Friday, the agency said Monday.
"2,500 migrants [been] saved off the Libyan coast since Friday. 1,300 people rescued as part of Frontex's Operation," a statement posted on the official Frontex Twitter account reads.
Operation Triton was launched by Frontex on November 1, 2014, replacing Italy's Mare Nostrum operation to tackle the refugee influx from Libya. Triton's budget was tripled in April 2015, after a vessel used by smugglers capsized off the Libyan coast, killing an estimated 700 migrants.
Libya is a major departure point for African migrants en route to Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM data shows that over 140,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2015, most of whom were originally from Eritrea, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan.
