THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS ARRIVE ON ITALIAN ISLAND OVER THE WEEKEND

Sun 26 March 2023:

In the last two days, more than 3,000 migrants have entered the Italian island of Lampedusa, according to a report published on Sunday by the Ansa news agency.

After 1,387 people arrived on Saturday and 1,778 on Friday, more were anticipated on Sunday. Numerous migrants continue to make the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea towards Italy despite recent tragic boat accidents.

A number of boats carried the immigrants, many of whom were children, to Lampedusa. A sea rescue ship assisted some boats, while Italian patrol boats assisted others.

On their way across the Mediterranean to the European Union on Saturday, eight people died. The Italian coast guard located their bodies and transported them to Lampedusa, according to Ansa. Another boat accident occurred off the coast of Tunisia on Saturday, leaving 34 people missing. Four individuals had been saved. Additionally, boats had sunk in the previous few days. Four children and a baby were among the seven bodies that the Tunisian coast guard found.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Lampedusa, Filippo Minnino, called for a joint European mission in the Mediterranean. “Europe and Italy must realize that there is a state of emergency in the Mediterranean. Women, children and men continue to die,”

Between Sicily and North Africa is the island of Lampedusa, which is just 190 kilometers from Sfax, a coastal city in Tunisia. Since the beginning of January, Italy has reportedly registered more than 21,000 boat migrants; in the two years prior, there were only 6,000 at this time.