PARIS: France deploys 150 police officers to strengthen border protection as the country experiences a surge in migrant arrivals, particularly from Libya and Tunisia.
The move comes as almost 40,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean into Italy from North Africa this year alone, a drastic increase from last year’s 9,500 arrivals.
The majority of those who have arrived in Italy are from Libya and Tunisia, with the latter serving as an exit point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
The dangerous journey has resulted in the death of 661 migrants this year, often on small metal dinghies.
As economic decline and drought ravage large parts of Africa, Italian authorities fear that the number of migrants attempting the journey could climb even higher.
Migrants crossing into France
France has taken preventive measures by boosting its border protection in the south. Migrants crossing the Mediterranean are using Italy’s border town of Ventimiglia to enter France, traversing mountain passes or swimming the short distance to the French town of Menton.
Meanwhile, on the Italian island of Lampedusa, more than 1,000 people arrived on 20 separate vessels on Wednesday, with 2,700 migrants being held in a center that has a capacity of only 400.
Many of those being held in the center are unaccompanied minors, including some under the age of 10, who have been there for a month because of the reduction in spaces for them on the mainland. The situation is putting them at great risk, according to a spokesperson for Save the Children.
The increased number of migrants arriving in Italy is putting pressure on the country’s infrastructure and resources. The UN’s International Organization for Migration has warned that the situation is becoming increasingly critical, with the migrant crisis being exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The issue is likely to remain a major concern for Italy and its European Union neighbours in the coming months.
