More than 200 migrants were rescued by a French patrol boat off the Libyan coast, reports AFP.
The 217 migrants were being carried across the Mediterranean on three boats. Two suspected smugglers were arrested and transferred to Italian authorities.
Since 2015, roughly 22,000 migrants successfully made the journey across the Mediterranean to arrive in Italy. However, according to the UN refugee agency, 1,600 people lost their lives on the perilous trip.
