Pandemic adds to Italy migrant burden, minister says

North African migrant arrivals in Italy have trebled this year, with about 40 percent originating from Tunisia, the Italian government has said.

During questions in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said: “Facing the influx has been made more complicated by the pandemic.” She added that migrant arrivals in Italy increased to 32,000 this year, with a reported 38.7 percent of the new arrivals from Tunisia. “Numbers of repatriations are always limited compared with the number of migrants arrivals,” she said.

There were 2,988 readmissions carried out this year, including 1,564 to Tunisia.

About 1,200 people were transferred following “the agreement recently signed between Italian and

Tunisian authorities that allowed 10 additional flights on top of the usual two that are scheduled every month for repatriation purposes,” Lamorgese added.

“We are the border country with the most positive feedback in terms of readmissions,” she told the Italian Parliament.

The minister also mentioned the issue of illegal migrants in the so-called “CPR” migrant detention and repatriation centers. Sicily is home to many of the centers, as is the island of Lampedusa, which is easily reached from Tunisia.

The centers have faced severe overcrowding in recent months, with only 1,525 spaces available nationwide. Several NGOs have criticized the situation in statements to the Italian press.