Migrants stopped for Libyas coast

The Libyan authorities have stopped hundreds of migrants who tried to leave the country on two rubber boats.

The authorities stopped the boats a few kilometers from the coast. Among the passengers were 35 women and 16 children, a Coast Guard spokesman said in a statement. The number of migrants crossing Libya to Europe has declined sharply since last July. Authorities in the North African country intervene more often.

In Italy, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, more than 3500 migrants from Libya have arrived so far this year. That is a decrease of 62 percent compared to the same period last year.