The Mediterranean island of Lampedusa is facing a migrant crisis of unprecedented proportions. In the past 24 hours, more than 6,800 migrants have arrived, more than doubling the island’s population. This influx has overwhelmed the reception centre and prompted calls for a structural solution from Lampedusa’s mayor and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.
Sky TG24 reported that Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, declared that “the arrival of migrants on international shores highlights how there are international interests that want to target Italy. Our country cannot be left alone.” Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani warned that the migrant crisis could “even worsen” and Italy “must be helped at a continental level. We cannot be left alone.”
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini declared that “since Europe is dramatically absent, distant, distracted, ignorant, and deaf, we will have to act on our own and defend the borders on our own because Lampedusa and Sicily cannot accommodate half of the African continent.”
The European Commission responded to the Italian appeals with a statement from spokesperson Anitta Hipper, who said that the current migration situation “once again underlines the challenges we face and the efforts we must make. Regarding Lampedusa, the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is in contact with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and this morning, Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson spoke to Minister Piantedosi to assess the situation and see how the EU can provide assistance. We support Italy at an operational and financial level, and we are ready to support Italy.”
Prime Minister Meloni is currently in Hungary, meeting with President Victor Orban, to discuss the migrant crisis.
Il Sole 24 ORE reported that tensions arose at the port of Lampedusa, where agents of the Guardia di Finanza tried to contain hundreds of migrants who were demanding to leave the pier. After the situation calmed down, the migrants sat on the ground without protesting.
The transfer of migrants is regulated by a bracelet that is worn to determine who arrived first and by which boat. There are just under 300 migrants, all very young, who are currently under the covers or sitting on the walls that border the Favaloro pier in Lampedusa.
Chaos in Lampedusa hotspot due to meal distribution also occurred, when hundreds of migrants rushed to get to the bags containing food and water bottles, fearing there wouldn’t be enough. The police blocked volunteers and Red Cross workers to prevent the situation from escalating, ensuring their safety.
The Prefecture and the police are trying to transfer all the migrants on the island as quickly as possible.
The migrant crisis in Lampedusa has reached a breaking point. With thousands of people arriving on the island, calls for help from the Italian government have gone unanswered. Prime Minister Meloni is in Hungary, meeting with President Victor Orban, to discuss the migrant crisis. In the meantime, the European Commission has offered its support, both financially and operationally. The Prefecture and the police are doing their best to transfer all the migrants on the island as quickly as possible. However, with the situation worsening every day, it is unclear how much longer Lampedusa can cope with the influx of people.
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