A further 113 migrants were brought to Malta yesterday after being rescued at sea by the Armed Forces.

Thirty-eight women and one child were among the migrants, who are claiming to be Somalis.

The rescue operation was triggered early yesterday morning when alerts received by the Italian rescue authorities in Rome were communicated to the AFM.

The dinghy was located 50 nautical miles south of Dingli and the AFM scrambled a King Air Aircraft and a P52 patrol vessel to the area.

Early yesterday afternoon, the migrants were transferred onboard the rescue vessel, which arrived at Haywharf in Floriana at 4.45 p.m.

Almost 600 irregular migrants arrived in Malta last month alone, as the settled weather encouraged many to risk the crossing from North Africa.

The influx prompted President George Abela to urge the EU to take further steps to tackle irregular immigration from North Africa in a speech last Tuesday.

The UNHCR said last month that more asylum seekers are likely to attempt the sea crossing in the coming months due to ongoing instability and lawlessness in Libya.