Illegal Migrant Arrivals in Italy via Mediterranean Surge to Nearly 114,300 in First Eight Months of 2023, Double the 2022 Figure, Reports Frontex
Central Mediterranean Route Accounts for Half of EU’s Irregular Migrant Arrivals in 2023, Says EU Coast and Border Guard Agency
Ivorian, Egyptian, and Guinean Nationals Predominantly Among Central Mediterranean Arrivals, Reports Source.
“Increased migratory pressure on this route could persist in the coming months, with smugglers lowering prices for migrants leaving from Libya and Tunisia, in a context of fierce competition between criminal groups,” Frontex said in a statement .
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that over 2,000 migrants have perished or vanished while attempting this passage since the year began.
In contrast to 66,000 during the same period last year, the Italian government reported on Thursday that roughly 126,000 migrants have entered the country this year.
The EU and Tunisia partnered in July, in the presence of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to minimize the number of migrants arriving from Tunisia and provide help totaling several hundred million euros.
Due to Tunisia’s authoritarian power shift and the crimes committed against sub-Saharan migrants there, this agreement is controversial. After Tunisian authorities refused to let a group of European MPs into the country on Thursday, criticism grew.
The Italian island of Lampedusa, which is fewer than 150 kilometers from the coast of Tunisia, has recently welcomed more than 7,000 migrants, which is the equal of the whole local population.
