More than 100,000 people have reached the Italian coast in boats since the beginning of the year. That is more than double compared to the same period last year, according to the most recent figures from the Ministry of the Interior in Rome on Wednesday.
Up to and including yesterday / Tuesday, the counter stood at a total of 100,938 boat migrants who have arrived in Italy since January 1, 2023. In 2022, there were 48,295 people in that period. There were also a large number of unaccompanied minors among the migrants this year: 10,290 to be exact.
Record year?
According to the ministry, this is the highest number of arrivals since 2017. If the current trend continues, Italy will break the figure of the record year 2016. Then more than 181,000 people arrived in the country via the Mediterranean Sea.
In 2023, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Egypt and Tunisia will be the main countries of origin of boat migrants.
Kill
Migrants trying to reach Italy from Africa mainly depart from Tunisia and Libya. However, the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea is particularly dangerous, often resulting in fatal accidents. According to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2,096 people have already gone missing in the Mediterranean this year and may have drowned.
Migration has been one of the main political issues in Italy for many years. The current right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared a state of emergency in April. At the European level, Italy is trying to conclude agreements with North African countries to prevent the departure of migrant boats to the European Union.
Read also: One last hug before they died of deprivation in the Libyan desert: the heartbreaking photo of mother and daughter in no man’s land after forced deportation
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