471 Ghanaian migrants rescued from Mediterranean Sea

471 Ghanaians including 32 unaccompanied minors have been rescued from boats in the Mediterranean Sea by Italian Authorities between January and April this year.

The Project Manager of the Ghana Integrated Immigration Management Approach (GIMMA) Project, Kazumi Nakamura, made this known at a sod-cutting for the construction of offices for the Migration Consultation Centre (MCC), run by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

Nakamura said the centre when completed will help reduce the phenomenon of irregular migration which people from Brong-Ahafo dominate in Ghana.

The numbers of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean in the hope of reaching Europe, has increased by more than 10% in the first five months of 2015.

On Sunday, June 7, European warships and coast guard vessels rescued more than 2,000 migrants off the coast of Libya.

The Malta-based, Migrant Offshore Aid Station, said it co-ordinated the operation along with Italian, Irish and German ships.

Italy's coastguard could not confirm the numbers, but said it was trying to help around a dozen other vessels.

Italy's government has predicted a total of 200,000 will arrive on its shores this year, up from 170,000 in 2014.