Some 3,000 migrants were saved off the Libyan coast in a single day, in 23 separate rescue missions, the Italian coastguard said in a statement.

Key points: Italian coastguard says more than 5,600 rescued in the Mediterranean in 48 hours

Italian coastguard says more than 5,600 rescued in the Mediterranean in 48 hours Libya to Italy is now the main route after an EU deal stymied Turkey to Greece route

Libya to Italy is now the main route after an EU deal stymied Turkey to Greece route Estonian PM raises possibility of taking refugees

The coastguard said this meant more than 5,600 migrants had been rescued from various boats and dinghies in the southern Mediterranean in just two days.

Coastguard boats, vessels from the European Union's naval operation EUNAVFOR Med and its border agency Frontex, a boat from NGO SOS Mediterranee and two tug boats from an offshore oil platform were all involved in the rescue operations.

Every search and rescue asset in the area was deployed, the coastguard said.

No breakdown of the nationalities of the people rescued was immediately available.

Sorry, this video has expired Italian Coast Guard rescues 229 aboard fishing boat off Sicily

Humanitarian organisations say the sea route between Libya and Italy is now the main route for asylum seekers heading for Europe after an EU deal on migrants with Turkey dramatically slowed the flow of people reaching Greece.

Officials fear the numbers trying to make the crossing to Italy will increase as weather conditions continue to improve.

Earlier this month, Italy said some 31,000 migrants, mainly from Africa, had reached the country by boat, slightly down on 2015 levels.

However, the number of new arrivals has picked up markedly in recent days.

Most of those trying to reach Italy leave the coast of lawless Libya on rickety fishing boats or rubber dinghies, heading for the Italian island of Lampedusa which is close to Tunisia, or towards Sicily.

Estonia doesn't rule out resettlement

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said on Tuesday he would not exclude the possibility of his country taking in refugees directly from Turkey or other countries.

Mr Roivas said his country had agreed to take refugees from Greece and Italy and this was "ongoing work".

"But I would definitely not rule out [taking them from] Turkey or any other country," he said during a visit to Germany where he took part in a meeting of Germany's Cabinet.

More than 1 million migrants arrived in Europe last year.

In an effort to stem arrivals, the European Union and Ankara signed a deal in March under which, for every Syrian refugee returned to Turkey, another would be resettled from Turkey to the EU.

In the longer run and once EU states were satisfied Turkey had stopped the flow, the EU would admit more refugees directly from Turkey, though that would be voluntary.

Reuters/AFP