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August 31, 2021

Over 500 Migrants Rescued in Mediterranean; EU Plans to Bar Entry to Afghan Refugees
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More than 500 refugees were rescued from an overcrowded fishing boat off
of the Italian island of Lampedusa over the weekend. The boat had
reportedly departed from Libya. Some of the refugees showed signs of
having been physically abused or tortured, and Italian officials are
investigating whether some of the refugees had been wrongfully
imprisoned in Libya.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports Eur opean Union officials are planning a
coordinated response to block large numbers of Afghan refugees from
arriving in Europe. This comes as the United Nations says some half a
million Afghans could flee by the end of the year following the
Taliban's seizure of Afghanistan.


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