5,600 rescued migrants to reach Italy in one day

Over 5,600 rescued migrants and refugees are due to reach Italian ports on Thursday, according to Italy's coast guard.

Meanwhile, Italian authorities are discussing a draft "code of conduct" for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating rescue boats in the Mediterranean with the European Union (EU) Commission in Brussels, media reports say.

Given the high number of people saved in the last 48 hours, the latest arrivals were to be spread out across several regions in southern Italy.

About 1,400 people are to be disembarked at the port of Catania, eastern Sicily, while some 900 people were expected in Salerno, Campania, and another 900 in the Calabrian port of Corigliano, a spokesperson for the Italian Coast Guard told Xinhua.

Further 2,420 migrants and asylum seekers are to be distributed among four other ports in Sicily, Calabria, and Pulia, the official added. Overall, Thursday's arrivals would amount to a total 5,620.

The Italian coast guard, coordinating all rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, said there were no new missions underway as of mid-Thursday.

Also on Thursday, a delegation from Italian interior ministry and coast guard and EU Commission officers were assessing Italy's draft "code of conduct" for NGOs carrying out rescue missions, according to Il Sole 24 ore business daily.

The draft was under review by EU officials before its definitive approval. The code of conduct would require NGOs operating rescues in central Mediterranean to comply with 11 rules, including an "absolute prohibition" to enter Libyan waters during their missions, according to Ansa.

Another rule would require NGOs to allow police officers on board of their boats anytime to search for possible human traffickers hiding among rescued people.

Among other obligations, NGOs would be asked not to transfer rescued migrants and refugees on other ships, regardless if they were from humanitarian groups or from Italian authorities, except in case of emergency.

NGOs not complying with such rules would not be allowed to enter Italian ports to disembark the rescued people, according to the draft.

The code of conduct, which might be amended following suggestions from the EU Commission, was part of a wider effort by the Italian government to get more help from EU partners on the migration crisis.

At a conference on the Western Balkans held in Trieste on Wednesday, Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni restated the migration crisis was a European issue. "Italy will keep doing its part in rescuing and welcoming," Gentiloni said.

"At the same time, we fight for the migration policy to be shared by the whole EU."