According to Reuters, around 240 illegal migrants were rescued on Tuesday by the Italian coast guard and transferred to the island of Sicily.
In recent weeks, over 10 thousand migrants have been rescued from Mediterranean waters as they attempt to enter Europe from the shores of North Africa.
On Monday, European Union nations approved plans for a naval operation against human traffickers in Libya. Italy, who has born the brunt of the majority of migrant arrivals, welcomed the decision, with the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paolo Gentiloni, stating that the situation was "not an Italian, but a European, emergency."