Italian coast guard ships, alongside British and Irish military vessels, have again rescued at least 2,900 migrants from 21 smugglers boats in the Mediterranean, north of Libya.

An Irish military statement said the Irish vessel Le Eithne was involved in six of the operations on Sunday, rescuing migrants from inflatable rubber dinghies.

In a statement, the Italian coast guard also confirmed the number.

About 100 of the migrants have been taken to the tiny island of Lampedusa, off Sicily andauthorities are determining which larger, southern Italian ports would receive the others on Monday.

This year alone, about 60,000 migrants saved by ships in a multi-nation search and rescue mission have been brought to Italian ports.

Many seek asylum from wars or persecution in Africa or the Middle East, and hope to reach families in northern Europe.

Of this multitude, many have died in shipwrecks at sea.