In her speech before the UN General Assembly, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed serious concerns about the migration pressures on her country. In his speech, he stressed that the situation had become unbearable, especially on the island of Lampedusa. The island, with a population of only a few thousand, is located in the Mediterranean Sea between Africa and Europe.
The region is now one of Europe’s biggest migration hotspots, with 127,000 people arriving this year alone, double last year’s numbers.
Even local supply systems cannot handle the huge crowds, adding to the tension on Lampedusa. The authorities are trying to transfer migrants to other camps, but as a result of the worsening crisis, escapes from these camps have become regular.
Most arrivals in Italy want to continue north, but France is increasingly strict about the shared Italian-French border section.
The Italian Prime Minister came to the presidency of the country less than a year ago with a promise to stop immigration into the country. Meloni also made efforts in this regard, as he was the main actor in putting under the roof the agreement concluded between the European Union and Tunisia, which concerns limiting immigrants from the North African country to Europe. This has no clear impact on the numbers, as the amounts have not yet reached Tunisia.
According to Olivier Varhelyi, Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement at the European Commission, the agreement is good and the first results are already clear.
The French said they would help deport people, but they refuse to accept migrants from Lampedusa. Meloni has also previously criticized the EU’s migration quota plan, under which the process should be halted, not eased by distribution.
The cover image shows migrants arriving in Lampedusa in 2022. Cover image credit: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
