LAMPEDUSA:TENSIONS MOUNTED on the small Sicilian island of Lampedusa yesterday as local authorities struggled to deal with an influx of boat people in which more than 3,700 people, mainly Tunisian, have landed on it in the last 72 hours.
Frustrated islanders yesterday towed four boats used by the migrants to the harbour mouth in an attempt to close the port and thus prevent further arrivals.
With a population of fewer than 7,000, Lampedusa, 25sq km in area, has for African migrants become a point of arrival in the European Union in recent years, as it is closer to the coast of Tunisia (110km) than to that of Sicily (the nearest port is Porto Empedocle, 207km away). With turmoil and social unrest in much of north Africa, an estimated 18,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to the island so far this year.
Yesterday, Vittorio Dezza, president of environmentalist lobby Legambiente, said the island had become a “sort of open prison” because of the failure to deal with the boat people, who now outnumber the island residents.
“With those who arrived today, the number of migrants is now over 7,000,” he said. “The [migrant] reception centre is overcrowded beyond belief and most of the migrants are just gathered on the harbour walls without a roof, without food, water, blankets and sanitary services.”
Given the dominant role of tourism in Lampedusa’s economy, the islanders are concerned that the tourist season, which traditionally opens at Easter, may be jeopardised by the crisis. Television news bulletins carry reports daily in which the island looks like a massive, chaotic and ill-equipped refugee centre populated by restless and hungry migrants.
Palermo prefect Giuseppe Caruso, who is also commissioner for the humanitarian emergency on the island, yesterday said a fleet of six boats would ship the boat people from the island tomorrow. It is expected the migrants will be taken to temporary reception centres on the Italian mainland.
Interior minister Roberto Maroni said Italy might consider compulsory repatriation of migrants if the situation continues to deteriorate.
“Clandestine Tunisian immigrants continue to arrive in Lampedusa in unprecedented numbers. If Tunisia blocks these departures, we can solve the problem quickly. If it doesn’t do that in the next two days, then I will propose compulsory repatriation at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting,” he said.