Ahmad 
The “Ocean Viking” ship, operated by the “SOS Mediterranean” organization, rescued about 360 irregular migrants on Tuesday and Wednesday as they tried to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.
The ship “Ocean Viking” carried out six rescue operations in the waters located between the Tunisian, Libyan and Italian coasts, according to the statement issued by the organization.
On Tuesday, the ship rescued 120 people, including 53 migrants who sailed from Sfax, Tunisia, and were rescued near the Italian island of Lampedusa, where they were on a metal boat overloaded and threatening to sink.
The ship then headed to rescue 98 people who were on board a two-story wooden boat, including six women and three children.
It also rescued 43 other people who were trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea on a small wooden boat.
In its last rescue mission, the crew members of the ship “Ocean Viking” stabilized a boat made of fiberglass with about 50 migrants on board, and they were later transferred to an Italian Coast Guard ship.
“SOS Mediterranean” has been able to rescue more than 40,000 people in the Mediterranean since 2016, especially in its central sector.
Irregular migration attempts increase in the summer due to better navigational conditions, but the migration route in the central Mediterranean remains one of the most dangerous in the world.
3,155 migrants died or went missing in 2023 after trying to cross the sea to reach Europe, according to the latest figures issued by the International Organization for Migration.
Since the beginning of 2023, 880 migrants have died or gone missing.
Figures from the Italian Ministry of the Interior indicate a significant decrease in the number of arrivals by sea since the beginning of the year, with 27,744 people arriving in Italy between January and July 10, compared to 72,036 migrants during the same period last year.
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