The arrivals of migrant boats have multiplied on the Italian island in recent days, after weeks of bad weather. More than 800 people disembarked in 48 hours over the weekend. More than 260 migrants have been transferred from the overcrowded island hotspot to other centers in the country.
Migrant arrivals are on the rise again on the Italian island of Lampedusa. More than 800 people arrived on the island in 48 hours, over the weekend, aboard a dozen boats.
According to the Italian press, the exiles are mainly from Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Niger, and Eritrea.
With these arrivals, the first reception center in Lampedusa – with a capacity of 250 places – quickly found itself overloaded and several transfer operations had to be carried out.
On Sunday, the prefecture of Agrigento, in agreement with the Interior Ministry, organized the transfer of 127 people, by ferry, to Porto Empedocle, in Sicily, Il Primatonazinale reported.
On Monday evening, 104 migrants were transferred, also to Porto Empedocle, onboard the Sansovino ferry. Another 160 migrants left the Lampedusa hotspot on the quarantine ship Moby Dada and docked at Cala Pisana, a small port on the island.
According to Skytg24, 441 people were still in the hotspot on Monday.
Faced with the increase in arrivals, the mayor of Lampedusa, Totò Martello, appealed to the European Union, reports Il Primatonazinale. “We are facing an exceptional situation. I would like to thank all those who, in Lampedusa, are engaged in rescue and reception operations at sea and here on the island. I believe that Italy and Europe must do the same: when preparing measures of international solidarity and humanitarian welcome, remember to look at what is happening in the south, in the heart of the Mediterranean,” he said.
Over 200 people were rescued by Sea-Watch 3
The many arrivals in Lampedusa coincide with an increase in attempts to cross the Mediterranean from the coasts of North Africa, thanks to better weather.
More than 210 people were rescued over the weekend by the Sea Watch 3, during 5 rescue operations. Five people in fragile health, including two pregnant women, were transferred from the ship to Lampedusa overnight from Sunday to Monday. The crew is waiting to be designated a safe port to disembark the 205 or so survivors still on board. More than a hundred people were also rescued by the Geo Barents on March 29.
But many departures also end in drama or returns to Libya. During the weekend of April 2-3, more than 90 migrants drowned “after leaving Libya on an overloaded boat”, several days earlier, Médecins sans frontières had alerted.
Since the beginning of the year, nearly 4,000 migrants have been intercepted at sea and returned to Libya while 417 have perished in the central Mediterranean, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). However, this figure could be higher, as humanitarians fear that canoes will disappear without a trace.
Last year, at least 1,553 people drowned trying to reach European shores, again according to the IOM.
The editorial staff would like to remind you that humanitarian ships (Ocean Viking, Sea Watch, Mare Jonio, etc.) criss-cross a very limited part of the Mediterranean Sea. The presence of these NGOs is far from being a guarantee of relief for migrants who want to attempt the crossing from the African coast. Many boats go unnoticed in the vastness of the sea. Many canoes also sink undetected. The Mediterranean remains today the deadliest maritime route in the world.
