After the arrival of thousands of boat migrants since the beginning of the week, the situation on the Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa has eased, according to the Red Cross. In the morning, around 700 boat migrants left the small island on ferries and police ships towards Sicily and the mainland, according to a statement from the Italian Red Cross. Another 2,500 people are to be taken off the island during the day. “Now, after the transfers, the situation is calmer,” said the aid organization’s director, Rosario Valastro, on social media.
After the arrival of thousands of boat migrants since the beginning of the week, the situation on the Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa has eased, according to the Red Cross. In the morning, around 700 boat migrants left the small island on ferries and police ships towards Sicily and the mainland, according to a statement from the Italian Red Cross. Another 2,500 people are to be taken off the island during the day. “Now, after the transfers, the situation is calmer,” said the aid organization’s director, Rosario Valastro, on social media.
Since the beginning of the week, several thousand boat migrants have reached the island between Sicily and North Africa. More than 5,000 people arrived on Tuesday alone – more than ever before on a single day. Because of its proximity to the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax, Lampedusa has been one of the hotspots of migration to Europe for years. In view of the escalating situation, the island’s city council declared a state of emergency on Wednesday evening.
At times there were around 6,800 people in the initial reception center operated by the Red Cross – in the municipality of Lampedusa, which also includes the neighboring island of Linosa, there are almost 6,500 residents (as of July 2023). The situation in the camp came to a head on Wednesday and Thursday – people crowded behind the gates and there were chaotic scenes during the distribution of food.
According to the Red Cross, around 3,800 people are currently in the so-called hotspot after the first transfers on Friday morning. Pictures and videos showed how many people were waiting at the port to be taken to the mainland. Valastro emphasized that his aid organization is doing “everything it can and more” in Lampedusa. He thanked the island’s volunteers and residents for “moments of deep humanity and hospitality.”
Source: Stern
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