Lampedusa undocumented migrants influx ongoing: Italian Red Cross
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Migrants arriving on the island typically stay there for two days before being transferred to the mainland.
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Migrants queue before boarding the GNV Azzurra ship after being transferred from the migrant center on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, on May 13, 2021 (AP)
Italian Red Cross official Francesca Basile confirmed to RIA Novosti on Thursday that the influx of undocumented migrants arriving on the Italian island of Lampedusa is still at its height with around 2,000–2,500 people being transferred from there daily.
"Migrant arrivals never stop, more than 500 people on 17 vessels arrived on Wednesday alone. This has happened before, to a greater or lesser extent, but the influx is constant," Basile stated, adding, "We can handle 2,000 people. Our team consists of 140 people, including employees and volunteers. We provide all sorts of help and assistance inside and outside the center."
Last week's numbers reached a peak when 11,000 migrants arrived within six to seven days. As of today, a migrant reception center operated by the Italian Red Cross on the island is home to 2,000 people - five times its capacity.
Migrants arriving on the island typically remain there for two days before being transferred to the mainland, after being provided with water, meals, clothes, and sanitary products. They additionally receive linguistic assistance from interpreters at the center.
The center also tries to reunite families and contacts either the Red Cross or the Red Crescent, according to Basile, if migrants cannot contact relatives.
Read more: EU chief to visit Italian island after migrant surge
War on human trafficking
In light of this, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed to prevent her country from becoming what she called "a camp for refugees" in Europe because of the large influx of refugees arriving from Africa and Asia.
"I will not let Italy become a camp for refugees in Europe. It is necessary to declare war against human traffickers," Meloni told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York, acknowledging the challenging migrant situation and expressing optimism that international organizations would assist in finding a solution to the crisis.
Last Wednesday, Lampedusa declared a state of emergency following the arrival of over 8,000 undocumented migrants on the island in a time span of three days, a number that exceeds the island's permanent population.
Lampedusa Mayor Filippo Mannino called the situation one that is "close to the point of no return."
The island happens to be the landing point for tens of thousands of migrants each year from North Africa.
