Rome: Italy's prime minister has discussed with top cabinet ministers a plan to send Italian warships into Libyan territorial waters to combat smugglers who have sent thousands of migrants to Italian shores.

The meeting on Thursday came a day after Italy struck a long-elusive deal with Libyan authorities to give it a freer hand along the African coast, and it reflected Italy's frustration with what it sees as having to deal with Europe's migrant crisis on its own.

This year alone, nearly 100,000 migrants from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East have arrived in Italy, a 7 per cent spike compared to the same period last year. More than 2000 migrants have died at sea this year as they risked the crossing.

On Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni announced a potentially important breakthrough in Italy's seemingly Sisyphean task of stopping migrants from setting sail for Sicily.