On Friday, the Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, called for an end to illegal migration flows into Europe, given the critical situation linked to the spread of COVID-19.
He said that immigration is an ongoing phenomenon but must be managed. “The current circumstances of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic doesn’t allow us to handle uncontrolled entry into Europe,” he added.
The FM called for changing the EU’s plans regarding the “migration management” issue and reviewing the current mechanisms.
On Tuesday, Italian security sources said 3 boats carrying more than 150 migrants arrived on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa. The sources described the boats as “continuing without stopping.”
On Tuesday night, a boat carrying 43 people was intercepted by the patrols. A further 15 migrants were stopped the next morning by the Ports Protection Authority. The Maritime Police is believed to have intercepted another boat carrying about 100 migrants.