The Spanish coastguard rescued 681 migrants off the coast of Spain on Tuesday, bringing the total since Monday to almost 1,000.

The men, women and children, who were mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, were trying to cross from Africa on dozens of inflatable boats.

They were transferred to a sports centre in the port of Tarifa in southern Spain where they were taken care of by the Red Cross.

Good weather has led to a rise in the number of people trying to reach Spain across the Mediterranean

Meanwhile in Melilla, the Spanish enclave in northern Africa, at least 700 African migrants stormed a border fence. Around 30 of them managed to cross over and were transferred to a local immigrant holding center