Rescued migrants , who set sail from Italy , are being taken to a Italian port . Boats were losing buoyancy and did n't have life jackets , navy says . The navy says 124 women and 124 children are among those rescued . The deaths of more than 300 African migrants in a shipwreck off Lampedusa last October shocked Italy and the world , and led to calls for EU lawmakers to review their migration policies . North Africa is a major gateway into the Mediterranean Sea for migrants from North Africa .
Rescued migrants , who set sail from Italy , are being taken to a Italian port . Boats were losing buoyancy and did n't have life jackets , navy says . The navy says 124 women and 124 children are among those rescued . North Africa is a major gateway into the Mediterranean Sea for migrants from North Africa .