Over 101 thousand migrants have arrived since January, double the number from last year

Last Updated: August 27, 2023

Nearly 700 arrivals in two days in Lampedusa. The wave of landings continues, with over 12,000 migrants arriving on Italian shores in August alone. On Ferragosto day, 592 migrants arrived in Italy, and another 155 landed overnight. The Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that the psychological threshold of 100,000 arrivals has been exceeded, with 101,386 people disembarking in Italy so far this year. This figure is more than double (+107%) compared to the same period last year, which saw 48,940 arrivals. In the traditional Ferragosto press conference, the Ministry of the Interior announced an increase in asylum applications (+70.59%) in the first seven months of 2023. In the same period last year, there were 42,475 applications. Of the applications received, 48.2% were rejected (+8.7% in 2023). Refugee status was granted in 8.6% of cases (-6.7%), and subsidiary protection was granted in 10.1% (-3.3%). A total of 1,089,815 residence permits were issued: 282,154 for subordinate work, 45,634 for self-employment, 191,133 for family reunification, and 570,894 for other reasons (study permits and special cases). The exponential increase in people trying to reach Italy, and consequently Europe, is linked to the political instability of many African countries, as well as the crisis currently being experienced by Tunisia. Favorable sea conditions have also encouraged departures in August. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that there will be more deportations. Minister Matteo Piantedosi stated in an interview with Il Messaggero that the government will implement “a measure by September to strengthen the security system with more hires and more financial resources.” The increase in deportations is part of a security package announced on August 8, following a meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “In the past year, we have achieved a 30% increase in deportations. We want to raise this percentage,” says the minister. Meanwhile, the transfer of over 1,200 migrants from the pre-identification area created at the port of Porto Empedocle (Agrigento) has been organized. On the other hand, 106 migrants from the humanitarian ship Humanity 1 have arrived in Ancona. “Ancona is saturated. I also spoke to Deputy Interior Minister Prisco,” complained Mayor Daniele Silvetti. Meanwhile, the mayor of Padova, Sergio Giordani, calls for a focus on distributed reception: “Padova does not want large hubs for migrants in its territory, it does not want tent camps, it does not want to bear the consequences of wrong models, due to the stubborn refusal to collaborate with the prefectures, a refusal that unfortunately continues in every way.” The Church remains deeply concerned about the migrant issue. Monsignor Gian Carlo Perego, President of the Migrantes Foundation (Cei), speaks of a “dramatic situation” and points out the shortcomings in the “reception system: at this time, it is experiencing a setback because many people are forced to leave the centers to make room for the new migrants arriving.”