Hundreds of migrants arrive in Lampedusa again – and a newborn dies on the boat
Mass arrivals to the Italian island continue. Following Giorgia Meloni’s demands, European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen is now traveling to Lampedusa.
Two Worlds: Men in swimsuits look at newly arrived boat migrants in the port of Lampedusa.
Photo: Keystone
Once again, several hundred boat migrants arrive on the island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea. Italian news agency ANSA reported that more than 600 people on 13 boats had arrived on the small island by midday on Saturday. In the early morning about 120 people arrived on the island on three boats, and by midday there were about 500 people on ten more boats. The pictures showed how people gathered at the port to be later transferred to the initial reception center.
According to Italian media reports, a baby born while crossing on one of the boats died. The mother went into labor on the boat. With the help of other fellow travelers, she gave birth to the baby. According to reports, the infant died shortly after his birth. There were about 40 migrants on board, and they were rescued by a patrol boat belonging to the Port Authority.
Since the beginning of the week, several thousand migrants have arrived by boat on the small island located between Sicily and North Africa. More than 5,000 people arrived on Tuesday alone – more than ever before in a single day. Because of its proximity to the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax, Lampedusa has been one of Europe’s migration hotspots for years. Due to the tense situation, the city council declared a state of emergency.
At times, the initial reception center was extremely crowded with approximately 6,800 people. Many migrants are now being transported on ferries and police ships to Sicily or the mainland to relieve the so-called hotspot. According to ANSA news agency, there were more than 2,200 people in the camp on Saturday afternoon. This is less than before. However, the camp remains completely overcrowded.
Von der Leyen is coming
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni want to visit the Italian Mediterranean island together on Sunday. After about 8,500 refugees arrived on boats in Lampedusa within three days this week, Meloni called on the European Union to act quickly on Friday evening.
The far-right prime minister said that the situation in Italy due to the influx of refugees is “unbearable.” The island is located just 145 kilometers from the coast of North Africa, and has long been an important destination for migrants heading to Europe.
The Italian Prime Minister insists on European Union intervention to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean, and has even proposed a naval operation to prevent migrants from leaving.
Meloni and von der Leyen visited Tunisia together in June, from where most of the migrants set off for Italy. The European Union plans to reach an agreement with the North African country: in exchange for financial aid worth millions, Tunisia will take stronger measures against smugglers and illegal crossings in the future.
So far, EU countries have been unable to pass a comprehensive reform of the European asylum system. Member states on the EU’s external borders in particular complain of a lack of solidarity on the part of other partners.
SDA
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