With the number of irregular migrants arriving in Sardinia –
mainly from Algeria and Tunisia - slowly but steadily increasing,
IOM has opened a new office at the Elmas reception centre in the
south of the island.

Last year almost 1,600 migrants reached Sardinia by boat, many
of them arriving at the Elmas reception centre, which has a
capacity of 350, according to IOM Italy Chief of Mission Peter
Schatzer.

"Migratory trends in Sardinia are changing in terms of gender
and numbers. The Algeria–Sardinia route seems for the time
being to be affordable and migrants, including more women and
unaccompanied minors, are arriving in fairly good physical
condition.  Some are heading for France, where they claim to
have friends and relatives. Others plan to work in Italy," he
says.

IOM's presence in Sardinia is funded under an agreement with the
Italian Ministry of the Interior's Department for Civil Liberties
and Immigration and the European Union's Praesidium project.

A specialized IOM team comprising a legally trained field
officer specializing in migrants' rights and a cultural
mediator-interpreter has been deployed to the reception centre.
Where possible, they will meet incoming migrants when they land to
provide legal counselling, as well as specific follow-up and
assistance to vulnerable cases.

IOM has also had a presence at migrant reception centres in
Lampedusa and Sicily, together with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Italian Red Cross, since
2006.

For further information, please contact:

Flavio Di Giacomo

IOM Rome

Tel: +39 06 44 186 207

E-mail: "mailto:fdigiacomo@iom.int">fdigiacomo@iom.int