43 asylum seekers were registered in the early morning hours on Sunday, 1,387 on Saturday, and 1,778 on Friday. The migrants reached the Italian island on board at least eighty boats; the authorities are also expecting more arrivals during the day.
The majority of illegal immigrants started from the shores of Tunisia.
As of Sunday morning, 2,494 asylum seekers were registered at the Lampedusa asylum center, although the facility officially has less than 400 beds.
Meanwhile, the Italian authorities temporarily seized the NGO ship Louise Michel in the port of Lampedusa, which landed on the island on Saturday with regarding 180 migrants on board. The ship’s crew is accused of violating a new law that requires NGO ships to immediately depart for a port following a rescue, rather than waiting for other barges. Louise Michel nevertheless carried out four operations to take in asylum seekers.
ANSA also reported that two barges were shipwrecked off the coast of Malta on Saturday, and at least eight people lost their lives in the accident.
Meanwhile, Filippo Minnino, the mayor of Lampedusa, demanded a joint EU mission in the Mediterranean.
“Both Europe and Italy must be aware that there is an emergency in the Mediterranean. Women, children and men continue to die,” he emphasized.
Two boats carrying illegal immigrants from Africa crashed off the coast of Tunisia, and the tragedy claimed the lives of at least 29 people.
The Italian government warned this week that the number of illegal immigrants from Tunisia to Europe might explode.
