Italian coastguard announced on Friday that it rescued some 1,700 people in the Mediterranean in the first half of this month amid a massive surge in the numbers of migrants trying to reach Europe from North Africa.
Over a thousand people have drowned in the Mediterranean this year and European Union leaders at a summit on Thursday agreed to triple funding for EU-Italian patrol and rescue operations (Triton) to around 120 million euros a year for 2015 and 2016.
The EU-Greek Poseidon operation will get around 16 million a year, the leaders said.
The Triton operation was widely criticised for its inadequate budget and mandate and Rome claimed Italian coastguard vessels had been carrying most search and rescue operations between Italy and Libya.
The EU summit was called at Italy's request after the worst-ever migrant boat disaster, in which as many as 950 people are feared to have died off Libya last weekend when their boat capsized and sank.
