12/03/2024 – 05/04/2024
- On 28 March 2024, a migration agreement was signed between a Moroccan workers’ union and Sicilian administrative and associative institutions. The agreement provides for the training of workers in Morocco with a view to finding outlets for seasonal jobs in Sicily.
- On 26 March 2024, according to EURACTIV‘s sources, Albania is preparing to open three subcontracting structures on behalf of Italy from 20 May. This infrastructure would have a capacity of 3,000 people. The Italian-Albanian agreement stipulates that asylum seekers will remain in the centres for about 3 months and they will not be allowed to leave until the end of their procedure.
- Between March 21 and March 26, 2024, according to statistics from the Italian authorities, 2,441 people were rescued before returning to relative safety during several disembarkations.
- On March 25, 2024, after more than two days adrift, 158 people were rescued by the merchant vessel VAULT. The group has arrived in Lampedusa but three people remain missing. Once again, European states have failed to respond to repeated distress calls, failing in their duties in terms of humanitarian protection.
- On 23 March 2024, the civilian crew of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans managed to rescue 114 children, women and men during two operations. Pozallo has been designated by the Italian State as the disembarkation point for the boat Mare Jonio.
- On 20 March 2024, MSF‘s rescue boat, GeoBarents, was detained for 20 days by the Italian authorities. The latter accuse the NGO of not following the orders of the Libyan coastguard during a rescue operation on March 16, 2024. In recent weeks, Rome has been stepping up the obstacles to the relief operations carried out by various humanitarian organisations.
- On 19 March 2024, Al Jazeera reported the testimony of Sajo, a migrant worker from Gambia. He denounced appalling working conditions marked by exploitation and racism at the hands of his employer in the Italian Piedmont.
- On March 18, 2024, 336 people, including women and children, arrived at the port of Ancona aboard the Ocean Viking ship. SOS Méditerranée nevertheless deplores the death of 60 people during this migratory trajectory. As of early 2024, IOM has recorded the deaths of at least 18 children in the Mediterranean.
- On 16 March 2024, the NGO Emergency’s Life Support boat managed to save the lives of 71 migrants who were in the Central Mediterranean. The port of disembarkation assigned to them was Ravenna.