Between April 7 and 10 2023, around 3000 migrants reached Around 1700 of them arrived in Italian island of Lampedusa, whose hotspot is suffering from problems of overcrowding. On April 10 2023, the Italian Coast Guard declared that it had rescued about 2000 people in two days. On April 11 2023, it intervened in support of a fishing boat carrying 800 people off Syracuse and it rescued a vessel in distress with around 400 migrants onboard that had departed from Libya and had been adrift between Italy and Malta for two days.
Several shipwrecks were recorded between April 7 and 8 in the route from Tunisia and Italy. At least 27 migrants are missing after two boats sank between Tunisia and Italy. Another 53 people were rescued by the Tunisian coast guard off the city of Sfax. Another shipwreck took place off the Italian island of Lampedusa between April 8 and 9: at least 2 migrants died and more than 20 are missing, as reported by German aid group ResQship that rescued the vessel during one of the multiple operations carried out during the night. On April 7, MSF disembarked in Brindisi 440 people that had been spotted in distress in international waters off Malta. On April 3, SOS Mediterranee rescued 92 migrants, including 47 unaccompanied minors, that had departed from Libya.
On April 18 2023, the Italian Senate assessed the Government’s amendments to the new decree on migration, issued in the aftermath of the deadly Cutro shipwreck. The amendments further limited the circumstances in which the “special protection” (the national regime of protection for migrants) can be recognized. Additional amendments concern reception and integration measures. With the new decree, asylum seekers would be confined to governmental reception centers and hotspots, and thereby prevented access from the Reception and Integration system managed locally by Italian municipalities, until their application is processed and protection is obtained. Once accepted by the Senate, the new text will be assessed by the Italian Chamber of Deputies to be converted into law by May 9 2023.
On April 17, President of the European People’s Party Manfred Weber released an interview with an Italian newspaper. Referring to migration, Weber thanked the Italian government for what it is doing to deal with the recent increase in arrivals and insisted on the need for greater solidarity from Europe.
On April 13, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk expressed alarm at the situation of asylum-seekers and migrants attempting to cross the Central Mediterranean. The High Commissioner applauded the Italian coastguard’s effort in saving people at sea, called for more solidarity with Italy from the EU and EU Member States and urged the Italian Government to abandon its law adopted earlier this year which restricts civilian SAR operations.
On April 11, the Italian government declared a state of emergency regarding the migrant situation in the country. The declaration will last six months and will allow the government to release more funds to deal with the more than 31,000 migrants who have arrived on the coasts of Italy since the start of the year.
According to a report published on April 11 by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, an increase in migrants could slash public debt and have a positive effect on the Italian budget.
Migrants in the hotspot in Genoa live in the dire conditions, with only one meal a day in rooms that are often overcrowded and infested with insects and parasites.
On April 5, Italian Prime Minister received the visit of her Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, who is seeking to gather consensus on several topics in view of the upcoming Spanish presidency of the European Council. Concerning the issue of migration, the two leaders agreed to focus on the external dimension of migration, with a focus on cooperation and collaboration with countries of origin and transit countries to decrease and disincentivize departures.
On April 9, EuroMed Rights was interviewed by RFI on gender and migration rights backlashes reported during the first six months of Giorgia Meloni’s Government.
