
Packed like sardines into a rickety wooden boat, this is the moment Italian sailors found 1,000 migrants desperately trying to flee war-torn Libya.

An Italian navy ship rescued more than 200 children from the boat which was so overcrowded migrants were sitting on each other on the top deck, with more crammed into the deck below.

The refugees, who were fleeing Libya and Eritrea, were found 30 miles off the Libyan coast. There were so many of them, they filled the flight deck of the naval ship Spica, despite the boat they had travelled in being a fraction of its size. The Spica will take the migrants to Sicily for processing.

More than 1,000 migrants are packed onto a rickety wooden boat that was cut adrift in the Mediterranean as they desperately tried to flee Libya

Dangerous: The migrants were found sitting virtually on top of one another on the upper deck, while even more were crammed in below using this tiny hatch

Perilous: The vessel was so overcrowded the migrants were sat on each other on the top deck, with more crammed into the level below

Entombed: Migrants emerge from below deck where hundreds more refugees were packed like sardines into the wooden boat

More than 5,000 migrants trying to reach Europe have been saved from boats in distress in the Mediterranean between May 29 and June 2

Spica is one of several Italian naval vessels that has been involved in the rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean in recent weeks.

Between May 29 and June 2, more than 5,000 people were saved from boats adrift in the sea as they tried to make their way to Europe.

Around 25 boats packed with refugees have been picked up by ships from Italy, Britain, Malta and Belgium, with air assistance from Iceland and Finland.

Authorities rescuing people from overcrowded vessels found 17 dead over the weekend, bringing this year's death toll to just under 1,800 people.

More than 130,000 migrants have already arrived on European shores in 2015, coming from countries as diverse as Syria, Nigeria and Vietnam in a desperate effort to flee warzones, avoid genocide and give their children the best chance to start a new life.

Sailors from the Italian naval ship Spica start the process of bringing the migrants on board after finding them stranded in the Mediterranean

Relief: Migrants wait to be brought onto the Italian naval ship Spica after being packed onto a dangerously overcrowded boat from Libya

Sorry start to life: A baby is brought onto the Italian naval ship by a sailor after being rescued from the perilously overcrowded migrant boat

A young boy cries as he helped onto the Italian navy ship. Spica is one of several Italian naval vessels that has been involved in recent rescues

While barely seaworthy boats bound for Italy and the Greek islands grab the headlines, a number of alternative routes – such as the Canary Islands – have emerged, highlighting locations that could see a surge in migrant arrivals over the coming months.

Italy and Greece remain the most popular destinations, however, with each having more than 40,000 arrivals since January.

In fact, arrivals of the small Greek holiday island of Kos have already topped 6,000 in 2015 – arriving at a rate of 300 a day – leaving its population of 32,000 wondering how many more people they can take.

Lesbos has also seen as many as 200 migrants a day land in tiny boats from nearby Turkey.

A young man possibly suffering from exhaustion or dehydration. Earlier this week, Pope Francis urged European countries to help migrants

Exhausted: Pope Francis described leaving the migrants to die at sea as an 'attack against life', comparing it to euthanasia and abortion

The migrants risk everything in a desperate effort to flee warzones, avoid genocide and give their children the best chance to start a new life

More than 130,000 migrants have already arrived on European shores in 2015, coming from countries as diverse as Syria, Nigeria and Vietnam

After arriving onshore they wait to be given papers by the authorities which mean they can travel to mainland Greece.

Many live in makeshift camps on beaches while they wait, leading to fears for the islands' tourism industries.

More than 40,000 migrants arrived in Greece in the first five months of this year, with more expected throughout the summer.

Earlier this week, Pope Francis urged European countries to help the migrants. He described leaving them to die at sea as an 'attack against life', comparing it to euthanasia and abortion.

There were so many of them they filled the flight deck of the naval ship Spica despite the boat they had travelled in being a fraction of its size

Saved: The ship Spica Italian Navy, with a crew of only 60 men, rescued over 1,000 migrants in international waters 30 miles off Libya

Around 25 refugee boats have been picked up by ships from Italy, Britain, Malta and Belgium, with air assistance from Iceland in recent days

Holiday destinations such as the Greek islands of Kos and Lesbos have seen as many as 200 migrants a day land in boats from nearby Turkey

Meanwhile, police in northern France revealed this week they have intervened to stop migrants sneaking into the UK 18,000 times so far this year – more than double the total for the whole of 2014.

The majority were found on lorries heading for the Channel Tunnel or ferries at Calais, with police carrying out stoppages 130 times a day on average.

Johann Cavallero, of the police union in Calais, said the figures took into account the fact the same people were often stopped up to three times on the same day.

He said: 'We know how many we catch, but we do not know how many we don't catch, who evade our controls and make it to the UK.'

According to official figures there are currently around 2,000 migrants living rough in Calais but the real figure could be as high as 4,000.

Strain: A family on board the Italian naval ship Spica. Authorities rescuing people from overcrowded vessels found 17 dead over the weekend