Landings become a new battleground, in Lampedusa in 2,000

“The numbers are truly alarming, what has happened hasn’t happened for a long time. We have tripled landings compared to the same period last year. Europe needs to take note of how broad and dramatic this problem is, which cannot be entrusted only to Italy and in particular to Sicily. It is not possible that this Europe, which on the Covid front has shown attention, then continues to turn to the other side on such a serious problem “.

This was stated by the president of the Sicily region, Nello Musumeci, in connection on TgCom 24 on the theme of the landings of migrants in Lampedusa: “It is an announced tragedy, we have often said that the problem must be addressed in the winter months – underlines the Sicilian governor – not when criminals’ journeys of hope begin in the warmer months. In this regard – adds Musumeci – I asked for and obtained a meeting with the Minister Lamorgese together with the mayor of Lampedusa ».

After all, it was two tough days in Lampedusa. The balance of arrivals, which already counts over 2,000 migrants, is constantly updated. And the hotspot of the island – despite the continuous transfers with the ferry to Porto Empedocle or on the quarantine ships – is now on the verge of collapse. During the night, about 700 people remained in the open on the Favarolo pier due to lack of seats inside the structure. Meanwhile, off the coast of Libya, yet another tragedy was taking place: a boat capsized and five people, including a child, drowned. Since January, 500 refugees have lost their lives in the Mediterranean, while in 2020 there were 150.
After the 16 landings with about 1500 migrants who registered on Sunday, last night another four boats landed on the island, for a total of 635 refugees. In the late morning, 97 more were added, including 4 women and 2 children. Then the sea conditions worsened and no other boats were sighted on the horizon. About 700 migrants were waiting on the Favaloro pier, while at the hotspot, in the middle of the morning, there were a thousand other people with a maximum capacity of 250 seats. At dawn, 300 had already been transferred from the Imbriacola district, where the reception center is located, to Cala Pisana where she managed to anchor the Allegra quarantine ship. Other 200 migrants, shortly after, were instead loaded on the Sansovino line ferry bound for Porto Empedocle. After these departures, 500 of the approximately 700 migrants who had spent the night on the Favarolo pier were taken to the hotspot which filled up again. The first reception facility, where work on the second pavilion is underway, has a capacity of 250 seats that can reach up to 1,500 in emergency conditions. More is just not possible. So about 200 people remained on the quay. The priority of entry to the hotspot – explained by the Prefecture of Agrigento – was given to vulnerable subjects, women and children. In the afternoon, the firefighters set up a tent on the Favaloro pier to ensure that migrants shelter both from the sun and from the humidity of the night.