Nearly 800 refugees arrive in Italy overnight

More than a dozen boats carrying nearly 800 refugees arrived on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa overnight Sunday, according to Ansa News Agency, reported Xinhua.

At least 296 refugees on five boats arrived in the early hours of Monday, following 487 arrivals on boats on Sunday night and the boats all departed for Italy either from Tunisia or Libya in North Africa, the news agency quoted authorities as saying.

According to data from the United Nations, the number of refugees who arrived in Italy so far this year has surpassed 50,000, the highest number among European Union member states.

Despite an increase in the number of arrivals in recent weeks, Italy recorded fewer total refugee arrivals so far this year compared to previous years.