Italian and Maltese patrol teams have rescued more than 700 migrants in a series of operations in the Mediterranean Sea.
Italian officials say the rescues took place late Thursday and Friday after patrols intercepted at least five boats packed with migrants near the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The rescues occurred as European Union leaders at a summit in Brussels grappled with the issue of illegal immigration.
Leaders from the southern European nations that have been most affected by the influx of refugees pressed the EU for emergency action and to share more of the burden of dealing with refugees.
EU leaders, however, failed to take any immediate action. Instead, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the leaders expected to discuss the findings of an EU migration task force at their next summit.
