Pandemic's Economic Fallout Behind Rise In African Migrants - Italian Interior Minister

Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese believes that the growing number of migrant arrivals from Africa to Italy is due to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th March, 2021) Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese believes that the growing number of migrant arrivals from Africa to Italy is due to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The growing number of migrant arrivals in the first months of the year, especially to the coast of Sicily, is mainly due to the situation with the pandemic, which weakens the national systems of North African countries," Lamorgese said in the Italian Senate.

According to the minister, the Italian authorities continue to require COVID-19 tests and quarantine for all arrivals by sea. Meanwhile, she noted that Italy remains at a disadvantage due to the existing European mechanisms for distributing migrants across EU member states.

"We cannot conceal the political situation in Libya, Tunisia and other countries from where people are fleeing. In the first months of the year, the growing numbers are also explained by the dire epidemiological situation," Lamorgese said.

According to the latest data from the Italian Interior Ministry, in the first two months of the year, 5,300 migrants arrived in the country by sea. In 2020, this figure was 2,500 people over the same period of time, while in 2019, only 262 people crossed into Italy by sea.

A total of 34,000 migrants arrived in Italy by sea in 2020, three times more than in 2019.