More than 1,200 boat migrants rescued from the Mediterranean were due to land on Italian shores on Tuesday, forcing authorities to scramble to expand reception facilities for them. An Italian navy vessel was taking 1,027 people to Taranto, a port in Apulia. A Maltese cargo ship was expected to disembark 209 people in Pozzallo, Sicily, while about 20 migrants arrived on their own to Sardinia, dpa reported. Meanwhile, police identified and arrested the suspected skippers of two dinghies that lost some of their passengers during chaotic rescue operations during the weekend. Three migrants drowned as one dinghy capsized, while six others drifted in the sea and are missing. Italian officials say that more than 50,000 migrants have entered the country by sea since January 1, compared to less than 43,000 during the entire course of 2013. On Monday, more than 2,600 people were taken to Taranto and several Sicilian ports.
