The Spanish vessel Open Arms rescued 169 immigrants from an overcrowded wooden boat, off the Libyan coast.
“There is no such thing as Christmas or New Year when you are fleeing violence,” said a spokesperson for the vessel. They added that several children were found on board.
Aid workers noted that most of the migrants on the overcrowded boat were from Eritrea, according to Associated Press reports. Open Arms is one of a number of rescue groups operating in the Mediterranean.
Libya has become the preferred point of departure for thousands of migrants wishing to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) announced on Monday that about 12,000 illegal migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya in 2020.