More than 20,000 migrants have reached Italy’s shores so far this year, with the vast majority arriving in the past few months. This surge in arrivals has put a strain on Italy’s already precarious migrant reception system, and has led to an increase in tensions between Italy and its European Union partners.
The majority of migrants arriving in Italy come from sub-Saharan Africa, and are fleeing conflict, poverty, and instability in their home countries. Many have embarked on dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea, often in makeshift boats, in hopes of finding safety and a better life in Europe. Sadly, many have perished along the way.
The Italian government claims that the latest migrant wave is partly due to a strategy applied using the Russian security company Wagner in African countries. The strategy is said to involve providing training and support to local security forces in order to prevent migrants from leaving their countries of origin. This claim comes amid increasing tensions between the Italian government and the European Union over the issue of migration.
Data from Italy’s Interior Ministry showed that 20,017 irregular migrants came to the country via the Mediterranean in the Jan. 1 to March 13 period compared with 6,152 during the same period last year. This represents a significant increase in the number of migrants attempting to reach Italy by sea.
The majority of these migrants are coming from North Africa, particularly Libya. In recent years, Libya has become a major transit point for migrants and refugees fleeing conflict and poverty in other parts of Africa and the Middle East. The situation in Libya is precarious, with the country plunged into a civil war. This has made it more difficult for the Libyan authorities to control the flow of migrants and refugees leaving the country.
“Between March 9 and 11, 4,566 people arrived in Italy irregularly via the Mediterranean migration routes”.
This marked a significant increase in the number of people migrating to Italy via this route compared to previous months. The majority of these migrants were from African countries, fleeing conflict and poverty in their home countries. This has put a strain on Italy’s already struggling economy and has led to a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment among the Italian people.
In comments to the Italian media on the issue, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto claimed the increase in the number of irregular migrants coming from Africa is partly due to Russia’s strategy of “hybrid warfare” applied through the Russian security company Wagner in African countries that support Ukraine.
“Crosetto claimed that the Wagner Group is contracted by the Kremlin to carry out operations in countries like Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic, with the goal of destabilising those states and making them less able to control their borders. This, in turn, creates more opportunities for irregular migrants to cross into Europe”.
The situation at Italy’s southern border has become increasingly dire in recent weeks, as the number of migrants and refugees arriving by sea has skyrocketed. In response, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Matteo Salvini convened a video conference with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Defense Minister Crosetto to assess the situation and determine what steps need to be taken.
It is clear that the current system is not equipped to deal with the influx of migrants and refugees, and the situation is only getting worse. The Italian government must take immediate action to protect its citizens and its borders.
During a meeting between the defence minister and the navy chief, it was discussed to use appropriate technological tools of the Italian Navy to detect boats carrying irregular migrants in zones outside territorial waters and to improve coordination in surveillance at sea, according to a report by the La Repubblica newspaper. Given the situation, it was decided that the best course of action would be to utilise the navy’s technological capabilities to improve detection of migrant boats and to better coordinate activities at sea.
