MILAN — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to journey Sunday to the Italian island of Lampedusa, which was overwhelmed with 1000’s of migrants arrivals this week, on the invitation of Italy’s premier, who is looking for a naval blockade of North Africa.
Von der Leyen’s spokesman, Eric Mamer, confirmed on Saturday that she would make the journey on the invitation of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.
Tensions on the small island had been rising Saturday, as each residents and migrants chafed on the lengthy wait occasions to switch individuals from the crowded reception heart to the Italian mainland. About 7,000 migrants arrived on Lampedusa from Tunisia this week, and the Red Cross stated that 3,800 remained on the island on Friday. Media studies indicated that was all the way down to about 2,000 on Saturday.
Residents gathered within the heart of city Saturday to protest plans to place up a tent metropolis on Lampedusa, and demanded a gathering with a Sicilian regional regulation enforcement official. A consultant advised the official that islanders have run out of persistence after three a long time of dealing with arrivals.
Meanwhile, footage aired by SKY TG24 confirmed police utilizing shields to stop migrants contained in the reception heart from surging to the gate. Elsewhere, migrants sat alongside a roadside trying fatigued within the warmth, ready for a switch.
Migrants continued to reach Saturday, however in far smaller numbers. They included the physique of a new child, who reportedly was born in the course of the crossing. The mom was being handled at a clinic on the island.
PHOTOS: Top EU official heads to an Italian island fighting migrant inflow as Italy toughens stance
Meloni on Friday vowed “extraordinary measures” to take care of an inflow of migrants, calling anew for a naval blockade of North Africa and saying that Europe wants a “paradigm” change to take care of points pushing migration, together with battle, instability, hovering grain costs and local weather crises.
“Obviously, Italy and Europe can’t welcome this massive influx of people, especially when these migrant flows are being managed by unscrupulous traffickers,” she stated.
Most of the migrants arrived from Tunisia, regardless of an EU accord with the North African nation to stem smuggling operations in alternate for financial assist.
The disaster is inflicting tensions in Meloni’s authorities, as the top of the League, Matteo Salvini, has raised his criticism on the EU-Tunisia deal.
As Meloni hosts von der Leyen in Lampedusa, Salvini on Sunday has invited French far-right chief Marine Le Pen to an annual League rally within the northern Italian city of Pontida.
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