Despite bad weather and rough seas, small numbers of migrants are
continuing to arrive on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

A boat carrying about 43 people managed to land on the island
early this morning (February 22nd) although sea conditions are
rough. IOM staff on Lampedusa say they were from Tunisia.

Another boat which had been intercepted on Monday (February
21st), arrived on Lampedusa in the afternoon carrying nearly 60
Tunisian migrants. Among them was a pregnant woman accompanied by
her husband, both frozen and soaked through. The two were taken to
the local hospital where they were kept-in overnight.

IOM staff said hot drinks had to be served immediately to the
migrants on the pier as they disembarked as they were all extremely
cold and wet from their journey.

An Egyptian fishing boat had raised the alarm when it saw the
migrants' boat in distress in stormy seas and contacted the Italian
coastguards.

The arrival of the nearly 60 Tunisian migrants on the afternoon
of Monday, the 21st followed that of two other boats in the morning
carrying about 130 migrants.

Meanwhile, nearly 330 Tunisian migrants were transferred on
Monday from the migrant reception centre on Lampedusa where IOM and
partners the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Save the Children
and the Italian Red Cross are providing humanitarian assistance.
Those transferred, including 13 women as well as accompanied
children were taken to reception centres in Puglia in southern
Italy and to Sicily.

For further information, please contact:

Flavio DiGiacomo

IOM Rome

Tel: +39.06.44.186.207

       +39.347.089.89.96

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

Jean Philippe Chauzy

IOM Geneva

Tel: + 41 22 717 9361

       + 41 79 285 4366

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

Jemini Pandya

IOM Geneva

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

Tel: + 41 22 717 9486

       + 41 79 217 3374