Over 4,000 Irregular Migrants Arrive in Sicily in Three Days
Analysis:
Last year IOM joined the European Union, UN and partners in renewed efforts and to protect migrants and save lives in the wake of the drowning tragedy in the waters between Libya, Malta and Italy. The EU set up a special task force, the EU Task Force Mediterranean (TFM), to develop an immediate and practical response. The ensuing Communication on the TFM from the European Commission outlines the concrete actions to be taken.
As an initial contribution to the EU’s efforts, IOM recommended human-rights-based responses to the current situation, including promotion of more legal, safe and dignified entry channels as well as longer term policy priorities such as making migration work for human development, and supporting cooperation among destination countries in the EU and with origin and transit countries in the Southern Mediterranean.
Early indications are that inflows may increase in 2014 and that migrants – including refugees, asylum-seekers, victims of trafficking, and unaccompanied children – will continue to put their lives at risk while attempting to reach the EU via the western, central and eastern Mediterranean routes, thus lending greater urgency to the need for sustained attention and intensified cooperation.
Ryan Schroeder, IOM
European Commission Communication on the work of the Task Force Mediterranean: Download the document
IOM Discussion Paper - Complex Flows and Migrant Rights in the Central Mediterranean: Download the paper
Italy - An unprecedented 4,457 migrants and asylum seekers have reached Sicily in the past three days. On Wednesday 2,307 migrants landed on the island. A further 550 arrived on Thursday and today (21/3) another 1,600 are arriving today. Ten more boats, believed to be carrying migrants, have also been spotted in the Channel of Sicily.
“These boats are coming from Libya. IOM has teams working with UNHCR and Save the Children on the island in the framework of the Praesidium project*. They are positioned in Augusta, Pozzallo and Porto Empedocle to provide assistance and legal counselling to the arriving migrants,” says José Angel Oropeza, Director of IOM’s Coordinating Office for the Mediterranean in Rome.
The migrants are from various countries including Eritrea, Nigeria, Syria, Mali, Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Senegal. They include families who in some cases have been accidentally separated during rescue operations. IOM and its partners are now trying to reunite them, in cooperation with the local authorities.
In the first 11 weeks of this year, some 5,745 irregular migrants arrived in Italy from North Africa – a dramatic increase from the 500 who were registered during the same period last year.
In October 2013 Italy launched the “Mare Nostrum” rescue operation designed to rescue migrants in the southern Mediterranean, with the participation of the Italian navy, army, air force, carabinieri, customs service, coast guard and police. Since then, Mare Nostrum has rescued some 10,134 migrants.
“This situation shows that search and rescue activities carried out by Mare Nostrum should continue,” says Oropeza. “But it also underscores the need to stop these people from risking their lives at sea by setting up transit centres where migrants and asylum seekers can get information about the risks and their legal migration options before they embark on dangerous sea journeys. Another solution might be to allow them to apply for asylum at European consulates en route before they board the boats.”
Oropeza fears that the instability in Libya could result in Italy seeing growing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers arriving in the coming weeks. He has called for improved contingency planning to ensure that adequate resources are deployed to receive them.
For more information please contact
Flavio Di Giacomo
IOM Rome
Tel. +39 347 089 89 96
Email: fdigiacomo@iom.int
For additional information, please go to http://migrantsday.iom.int/
* The Praesidium Project, which includes IOM, UNHCR, Save the Children and the Italian Red Cross, is funded by the Italian Ministry of Interior to monitor the good functioning of reception procedures for migrants upon their arrival, providing a service of legal counselling even in times of great pressure and support the authorities in the identification of the vulnerable groups.