Thousands of migrants rescued by Italian authorities and currently waiting to be relocated clashed with police on Wednesday after they demanded to be transferred to suitable housing.
Italy is facing an increased flow of migrants, overwhelming its already overstretched landing sites, where thousands of migrants are waiting to be transferred to reception centres that are also full. On the island of Lampedusa in Sicily, many barges are lined up waiting to disembark, while rescuers are stretched to the limit and tensions continue to rise.
On Wednesday, clashes broke out between migrants stationed at the Favaloro pier in Lampedusa and the police forces tasked with controlling the area.
Hundreds protested, demanding to leave the pier and be relocated, but the authorities had to carry out a ‘lightning raid’ to prevent escalation and possible violence.
“The issue of relocation (in other EU countries) is secondary. Very few people have been relocated in recent months. It’s a Linus blanket. The question is not how to unload the problem; it’s how to stop the arrivals in Italy, and I still don’t see any concrete answers”, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Rai 1.
A total of 6,762 migrants have landed on the island, including 257 minors. Most are in the Contrada Imbriacola hotspot, while other groups have been forced to stay in other parts of the island, mainly the Favarolo pier, due to lack of space.
Several transfers to other Italian regions are underway to relieve the pressure from the island’s reception centres, which have become the first point of disembarkation for those arriving in Italy from North Africa, with Tunisia and Libya being the main countries of origin.
The total chaos was compounded by a tragedy as a five-month-old baby drowned after falling into the water just before the rescue operations began. The baby’s body was recovered and taken to the island’s morgue. Psychological support was sought for the mother, a minor originally from Guinea.
“The solutions cannot be found at the national level, but only at the European level. I think there is no other option but to conclude the migration pact. The citizens of all EU countries have asked us to find solutions,” said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola during a press point in Brussels.
“Ten years after the Lampedusa tragedy, we still have not done enough,” she admitted.
(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)
Read more with EURACTIV
Maltese journalists demand action, reform from government
Source: euractiv.com
