The President of the European Commission should have an idea of the seriousness of the situation together with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. Boats with hundreds of migrants on board are currently heading towards Lampedusa.
Just before the visit of the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, scheduled for Sunday morning, migrants continue to arrive in Lampedusa. 144 people arrived on the Mediterranean island in southern Italy on Sunday morning. On Saturday, 1,000 migrants arrived aboard 23 boats. Authorities reported that other boats with hundreds of people on board were heading towards Lampedusa.
There are currently around 2,000 people on the island’s hotspot. 640 migrants are expected to leave Lampedusa for Sicily on Sunday. Authorities want to ease pressure on the island, which this week was faced with unprecedented migratory movements. 11,000 people arrived in Lampedusa this week, where 6,300 people live.
Protest from neighbors: “It’s over, Lampedusa belongs to us and not to the EU”
In Lampedusa, there was a protest demonstration by residents on Saturday. They spoke out against supposed plans to set up a camp to accommodate migrants, as the island’s access point is overcrowded. “It’s over, Lampedusa belongs to us and not to the EU”, shouted the protesters who blocked some streets.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is expected in Lampedusa this Sunday. She responds to an invitation from the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, who will accompany the main German politician to the island. Meloni invited Von der Leyen “to become personally aware of the gravity of the situation in which we find ourselves”. The head of the Italian government insists on EU intervention to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean – she even launched a naval operation to prevent migrants from leaving.
Meloni and von der Leyen visited Tunisia together in June, from where most of the migrants left for Italy. The EU is planning a deal with the North African country: in exchange for financial aid worth millions, Tunisia will take stronger action against smugglers and illegal crossings in the future. (APA)