Italy has rescued some 1,600 migrants in 47 boats in the central Mediterranean over the past two days and brought them to the island of Lampedusa.

The Italian Coast Guard said in a statement late Monday that it had brought about 1,200 migrants to safety, but at least 23 were missing and one body was recovered from the sea after three shipwrecks.

According to the ANSA news agency, 12 more boats with about 400 migrants were rescued today.

In recent months, there has been a sharp increase in the number of migrant boats attempting to reach Italian shores from Tunisia, which has become a more accessible departure point following Libya’s crackdown on human trafficking in recent months.

The Italian government, led by Georgia Meloni, has called on Brussels to do more to reduce irregular arrivals.

On Monday, Italy offered Tunisia a cash payment option in exchange for economic and political reforms as European Union foreign ministers discussed in Luxembourg how to respond to the African country’s growing instability.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piandentozzi will visit Tunisia later this week, along with a top EU official. for immigration and its French counterpart.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.