Italy
Thousands of migrants on Lampedusa: tension and exhaustion
Around 6,800 migrants are currently staying in the initial reception center on Lampedusa. photo
© Valeria Ferraro/AP/dpa
After the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean, the odyssey continues for thousands of migrants in Italy. The small island of Lampedusa declares a state of emergency due to the large number of people seeking protection.
The arrival of thousands of boat migrants within a few days brings the Italian Mediterranean island Lampedusa to its limits. There were sometimes chaotic scenes in the completely overcrowded initial reception center in the center of the small island. Videos showed how the people – many visibly exhausted – waited tightly packed in the blazing sun, with security forces standing opposite them at the gates of the camp. There was unrest in the turmoil. There was an “explosive” mood in the Italian media.
Since the beginning of the week, more than 8,000 boat migrants have reached the small island between Sicily and North Africa. Around 5,000 people arrived on Tuesday alone. Because of its proximity to the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax, Lampedusa has been one of the hotspots of migration to Europe for years. In view of the escalating situation, the island’s city council declared a state of emergency on Wednesday evening. It is unclear what the exact consequences of this will be. Mayor Filippo Mannino called on the government in Rome to provide more financial and logistical support for the island, which is under “great stress”.
Over 123,000 boat refugees registered in Italy since January
According to media reports, the camp has never been so overcrowded – the situation was already tense on Wednesday evening. There were reportedly chaotic scenes during the distribution of food and drinks. People had already tried to leave the port and break through barriers. On Thursday the situation was tense again. Migrants waited in front of the high gates of the camp – at times exhausted or unconscious people were carried out to be treated by paramedics.
This year more migrants have reached Italy by sea than in the entire previous year. People usually set off for Europe in unstable and unseaworthy metal boats – some arrive under their own steam, others are brought ashore by the coast guard or civilian sea rescuers. According to figures from the Interior Ministry in Rome, more than 123,800 people have been registered to reach Italy on boats since January – in the same period last year there were 65,500. If the trend continues, the record number from 2016 could be exceeded by the end of the year. At that time 181,000 people came.
Tourists on the coasts, migrants inland
The realities of life on Lampedusa vary widely. On the one hand, the island, which is closer to the African coast than to the Sicilian coast, is a popular vacation spot: turquoise water and picturesque bays attract tourists. Excursion boats belonging to holidaymakers sometimes sail around off the coast, and the boats with those seeking protection meet them at the pier at the harbor intended for migrant arrivals.
Far from the beaches, inland – surrounded by a high fence and guarded by soldiers and police officers – is the island’s initial reception center. There are currently around 6,800 migrants in the so-called hotspot. In the municipality of Lampedusa, which also includes the neighboring island of Linosa, there are just under 6,500 residents (as of July 2023). At around 20 square kilometers, Lampedusa is only about the same size as the German North Sea islands of Amrum and Langeoog. According to Mayor Mannino, the citizens are now desperate. “Everyone has helped in some way the migrants who needed help. But now it’s really time to look for a structural solution.”
In order to relieve the pressure on the reception center, ferries and police ships are supposed to take people to Sicily or the Italian mainland. The Red Cross assumes that the situation in the hotspot will then ease again. Authorities usually try to respond more quickly to arrivals. However, the large number of people is overwhelming the forces, said Mayor Mannino. He called for about two ships to be permanently in the harbor to regularly bring people from the island.
Salvini: “Act of war”
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described the arrival of thousands of boat migrants on Lampedusa as an “act of war”. “It’s not a spontaneous episode, it’s obviously organized, financed and prepared,” the politician from the right-wing populist Lega told journalists at an event on Wednesday evening. Salvini further speculated that it was no coincidence that so many people arrived within 24 hours. He called on the EU to support. This will now be discussed within the coalition. Since October 2022, Italy has been ruled by a right-wing alliance led by the ultra-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani warned that the situation could worsen further in the next few months. “Not even Europe alone is able to deal with such a big problem, which not only affects almost all of Africa, but also the influx via the Balkan route,” said the politician from the conservative Forza Italia party to the newspaper “Corriere della Sera”. Thursday. The opposition accused the government of failing with its immigration policy.