Men wait to disembark from the Italian Coast Guard vessel Diciotti following a rescue operation of migrants and refugees at sea on Wednesday in the port of Catania, Sicily. Photo: AFP

Italian police on Sunday corrected a report that a record 400 migrants had landed on a beach in Sicily, saying the number was only around 70, the ANSA news agency reported.

A single wooden fishing boat some 10 meters long was found on the beach near the southern Sicilian city of Agrigento, and a coastguard search backed by a helicopter failed to find the much larger vessel they were searching for at sea.

Witnesses had earlier told security forces that some 400 migrants had arrived aboard two boats. 

The mayor of the nearest village spoke to some of the migrants, telling reporters later that some 300 migrants might have arrived, and that they were probably all Tunisians.

The migrants had left the beach in small groups, setting off across the island, local press reports said. Some stopped motorists to ask for water or for a ride, according to the Agrigento Notizie daily.

It has been years since arrival figures in the hundreds have been seen in a single day in Sicily, with human smugglers increasingly avoiding Italy.

Reacting to the initial reports, the anti-immigration League party of Matteo Salvini said: "Italy has become a refugee camp again."

Smaller groups, mostly from Libya, are frequent arrivals.

Italian authorities said 52 people, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, arrived Sunday aboard a boat no more than 10 meters long on the small island of Linosa near Italy's southernmost island Lampedusa.

According to interior ministry figures as of Friday, 4,445 migrants have arrived in Italy since the start of 2020.

AFP