Kenny Karpov/ SOS Mediteranee
Rescue teams pulled 2,121 migrants out of boats in the Mediterranean late Friday and early Saturday, also uncovering one dead body. Two ships operated by non-governmental organizations and a Spanish vessel carried out the rescue operations to help asylum-seekers trying to get to Italy, the Italian coastguard said Saturday. No details were given on the victim of the journey, nor on the rescued migrants. The latest rescue comes after the International Organization for Migration reported a major increase in the number of migrants trying to reach Italy this year. In 2017 alone, more than 45,000 asylum-seekers reached Italy by boat from North Africa, up 40 percent from last year, according to the organization. At least 1,222 people have died while attempting to complete the dangerous journey, which often involves shoddy boats and poor conditions in schemes facilitated by human smugglers in Libya.