Von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited the migrant reception center on the small island saturated by the disembarkation of tens of thousands of people in recent days.
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After the visit, the head of the European Executive presented a ten-point aid plan to manage the current situation, distribute asylum seekers among the bloc's members and prevent the repetition of these episodes, which put pressure on Italy's logistical and administrative systems.
The aim is to combine a tough stance against human traffickers and a simplification of legal routes so that those who qualify for asylum can reach Europe.
Em curto and in the medium term, the European allies of Italy, the country of entry on this migratory route, must play their part, estimated the president of the European Commission.
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“Irregular migration is a European challenge that needs a European response,” he said. “We ask the other Member States (of the European Union) to use the voluntary solidarity mechanism”, he added, without mentioning Germany, which recently decided to stop receiving migrants from Italy.
The arrivals of migrants in Lampedusa and their movements to Sicily and the rest of Italy continued this Sunday.
“There are around 1.500 people this morning in the reception center” in Lampedusa, with capacity for 400 people, the Italian Red Cross reported this Sunday.
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Angry inhabitants
The island's inhabitants, angered by the migrant landings, met European authorities at the airport and threatened to block the caravan.
Meloni and Von der Leyen went to the port where dozens of boats of all types used by migrants are moored, most of which departed from Tunisia.
NGO ships, such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) 'Geo Barrents', which rescued around 500 migrants in 11 operations, were heading to major Italian ports. Dozens of small boats continue crossing the Mediterranean directly to Lampedusa.
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Between Monday and Wednesday, around 8.500 people, more than the entire local population, arrived on board 199 boats, according to data from the UN migration agency.
Lampedusa, located less than 150 kilometers off the coast of Tunisia, is a common arrival point for migrants from North Africa.
In total, more than 127 irregular migrants have arrived on Italian shores since the beginning of the year, almost double compared to the same period in 2022.
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