Rome
Mahaz News
 — 

A file of greater than 2,000 migrants arrived on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa previously day, an Italian official mentioned on Saturday.

Some 1,778 individuals arrived on Friday, with one other 267 individuals touchdown on seven small boats in a single day Saturday, the official mentioned.

Previous years have seen increased numbers of arrivals however by no means this early within the yr within the house of a day.

Lampedusa, not removed from Sicily and the closest Italian island to Africa, is a significant vacation spot for migrants searching for to enter European Union international locations.

Charities rescued most of the boats. Under new guidelines from Italy’s right-leaning authorities, NGOs face fines for breaking a code of conduct.

The variety of migrants arriving on Italy’s shores by boats greater than tripled within the first two months of 2023, in comparison with the identical interval final yr, in line with Italy’s inside ministry.

On Thursday Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed the rising determine on the “political situation” in Tunisia.

“900,000 people will arrive in Italy that Italy cannot welcome,” Meloni instructed the European Council, whereas asking for collaboration with European companions to just accept migrants and assist block departures from Turkey, Libya and Tunisia.

In February, a migrant shipwreck tragedy off the coast of Calabria in southern Italy killed greater than 70 individuals.

Earlier this month, Meloni wrote to European leaders, saying it was their “duty, moral even before political” to stop one other such tragedy, and {that a} distinction must be made between migration and refugees.

“Confusing the two levels, as has often been done so far, is to the detriment of the most fragile and those in need of help. And that’s not right,” she mentioned, including the necessity for a single coverage on refugees throughout Europe.