For the second consecutive year IOM is lending its support to
O'Scià, a music and cultural event that takes place every
September on the island of Lampedusa and promoted by the renowned
Italian artist Claudio Baglioni.

"IOM is glad that Baglioni's efforts in organizing the event
were once again successful.  O'Scià is a very special
initiative, which has a proven ability to effectively draw public
attention to the dramas that continue to take place in the
Mediterranean," says IOM's Regional Representative for the
Mediterranean countries, Peter Schatzer.

"This year appears to be even more important, because of the
dramatic increase of irregular migrants who have reached the island
in 2008 – close to 20,000," explains Schatzer. 

According to IOM staff, the number of women that have reached
Lampedusa so far this year has increased from 600 in 2007 to almost
2,500. Nearly 1,130  hail from Nigeria.  Interviews
conducted point to a possibility that many may be victims of
trafficking.

"We hope that in this particularly dramatic and challenging
situation, the O'Scià concerts will once again raise
attention to migration challenges and send a message of solidarity
to Italy and other Mediterranean countries," says Schatzer.

Approximately 10,000 people are expected to gather at the
event's three main concerts, where Baglioni and two other
well-known Italian artists, Fiorello and Paolo Belli, will take
turns on the stage.

Today, the Regional Representative will participate in a
roundtable discussion focused on migration issues along with
speakers from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of
Labour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the
Comunità of Sant'Egidio, Amnesty International, Save the
Children, the World Islamic Call Society, the Municipality of
Lampedusa and Claudio Baglioni, founder of the O'Scià
Foundation.

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