Lampedusa, Italy - Around 490 would-be immigrants arrived early Saturday on the Italian islet of Lampedusa, placing further strain on what officials say are already overcrowded reception facilities.

A coastguard patrol sighted the main group of 324 would-be immigrants on a vessel adrift some 60 nautical miles from Lampedusa shortly after midnight.

The vessel was escorted to the islet, while a few hours later, another boat with over 200 people on board also managed to reach land.

Thousands of immigrants, most of them African, arrive in Lampedusa each year, but the latest landings are part of an unusual surge which has taken place since Christmas.

Most attempts by would-be migrants to reach Italy's shores take place during the northern summer when milder weather conditions make the sea crossings less dangerous.

Saturday's arrivals came a day after Italy's Interior Minister visited Lampedusa and in a speech vowed that 2009 would mark the "end of the immigration emergency."

In 2008 over some 36,900 would-be immigrants arrived in Italy by sea, a 75 per cent increase over the previous year.

Maroni said a recent bilateral agreement with Libya will allow the Italian navy to patrol the North African nation's coastline, an area from where many would-be immigrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean and reach Italy. (dpa)