On Saturday, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, said that there is a very tricky situation in the country due to the increase in “illegal” immigration from Libya and Tunisia.
In statements to Italian TV channel Rete 4’s Forehand-Backhand chat show, Tajani added “unfortunately they all arrive in Italy, and while the European Union (EU) has not shown sufficient solidarity with us up to now, now it is beginning to understand this is necessary.”
“These people do not stay on Lampedusa,” Tajani underlined, referring to the Italy’s tiny, southernmost island which lies between Sicily Tunisia and Libya, where many thousands of boat migrants arrive annually.
The Italian Minister stressed that halting the flow of “illegal” migrants to his country across the Mediterranean is mainly linked to the improvement of the situation in Libya and Tunisia.
Tajani confirmed that they have “made great efforts at all levels to achieve security and stability in Libya.” He expressed Italy’s desire to “involve all influential countries in Libyan affairs to contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in the country.”
The Foreign Minister indicated that “if the situation in Libya stabilises, this will reflect positively on the security of North Africa as a whole, and countries south of the Sahara.”
The Italian Minister added that Rome considers the possibility of concluding bilateral agreements with some countries to encourage the return of “illegal” immigrants.
He expressed his country’s understanding of the crises facing immigrant countries of origin such as famines, wars, and earthquakes, explaining that Italy is working on a great plan for the development of Africa.
The Italian police stated that 53.310 migrants landed in Italy in 2022.
On Thursday, the Italian police confirmed that the majority of “illegal” immigrants who arrived on the Italian coasts in 2022 are from Libya, with a total of 53,310 people, followed by Tunisia, with 32,371.
In a report, the Italian Police Department said that there has been a 55% increase in the number of “illegal” immigrants arriving in Italy via sea compared to the last year.
It noted that the number of “illegal” immigrants who arrived on the Italian coast from January 1 to December 31st, 2022, amounted to 105,131.
According to the report, the peak of migrant flows was recorded in August, when 16,816,000 migrants disembarked.
Notably, the large majority of the migrants transiting through Libya on their journey toward Europe. This has contributed to the development of well-established and resilient smuggling and trafficking networks in Libya.
On the other hand, the International Organization for Migration in Libya (IOM) said earlier this week that 3,897 migrants were intercepted in the Mediterranean and returned to Libya, in 2023.
The IOM added that 236 migrants died at sea, while 174 people were missing. Among those intercepted were 99 children and 181 women.
