some 1,500 migrants have been rescued by italian navy and coast guard ships in less than 24 hours, officials said sunday coast guard ships came to the aid of five boats in the southern mediterranean on saturday and managed to save all passengers the rescues were made as newly released figures show an increase of 43 per cent of migrant arrivals into the eu via italy on the same period last year scroll down for video  rescued: migrants arrive  in the port of lampedusa on a boat of the italian coastguard following a rescue operation off the coast of sicily  the 1,500 migrants were rescued on saturday by two coast  guard ships and one navy ship in five separate operations, the  coast guard said in a statement three of the migrants' boats were in difficulty and sent  rescue requests via satellite phones while they were off the  coast of libya as the coast guard came to the aid of the three boats in distress, they spotted two more trying to cross the sea the migrants were all transboarded onto the italian ships  and were being taken to either the island of lampedusa or ports  in sicily, the statement said saved: some 1,500 migrants trying to cross the mediterranean to italy in were rescued in one day  an italian coast guard rescuerholds a baby as migrants arrive in the port of lampedusa on saturday  about 170,000 migrants entered the european union through  italy last year by way of the dangerous sea crossing organised  by human traffickers, most departing from libya more than 3,000  perished during the first two months of this year, arrivals were up  43 per cent versus the same period of 2014, officials have said the coast guard and navy intervened to save three large boats carrying migrants off the libyan coast after intercepting distress calls from satellite telephones, only to find two other migrants boats in difficulty nearby 
43 per cent mediterranean 2014 24 hours this year
some 1,500 migrants were rescued by coast guards in 24 hours  the migrants were picked up from five boats in the mediterranean  arrivals are up 43 per cent this year versus same period in 2014 