Urgent.. Libya exceeds Tunisia in irregular migration flows to Italy during 2023
At least 17,399 irregular migrants have arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year until May 6, a decrease of 60.76 percent compared to the same period in 2023, when 44,343 people reached Italian coasts by sea, the Italian news agency Nova reported.
According to the updated data issued by the Ministry of Interior, which “Nova Agency” reviewed today, more than half of the total immigrants , who reached the Italian coasts, left from Libya.
The past three weeks have witnessed a significant increase in illegal immigration flows from Libya and Tunisia, More than 8,128 arrivals arrived on the Italian coast in the period from April 15 to May 6, equivalent to 46.7% of the total number since the beginning of the year.
The analysis of migration boat departure countries highlights that, in contrast to last year, the number of arrivals to Italy from Libya since the beginning of 2024 has generally been higher than arrivals from Tunisia, with 25,134 arrivals recorded between 1 January and 6 May 2023 by route Tunisia and 18,022 from the Libyan route.
In the same period this year, “only” 8,064 migrants arrived. From Tunisia, a decrease of 67.9 percent, while 9,271 arrived from Libya, a decrease of 48.6 percent. This is the exact opposite of what happened at the beginning of 2023, when more irregular migrants left Cyrenaica, controlled by General Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, than from the western coast. It should be noted that the exodus of migrants from eastern Libya towards Europe has not stopped, as, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, thousands of migrants have arrived on the Greek islands this year, most of them from Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Thus, the impression is that Libyan human traffickers diverted part of the departures to Greece instead of Italy.
According to the latest update from the IOM office in Libya, at least 569 people have died or are missing. Migrants at sea in the central Mediterranean since the beginning of the year until May 4.
In particular, there are 245 dead and 324 missing in the maritime area separating Tunisia and Libya from Italy. . Moreover, the International Organization for Migration reports that 5,207 migrants were intercepted at sea and returned to Libyan territory from the beginning of the year until May 4, including 4,694 men, 347 women and 166 minors.
The weekly report, which covers From April 28 to May 4, 265 people were intercepted at sea and returned to Zawiya and Tripoli, in the northwest of the country, in addition to 41 men who were recovered from the sea and returned to Libya. Tobruk, in the eastern region of Cyrenaica.
Algeria is also among the countries of departure for migrants who arrived illegally in Italy this year, although their numbers are certainly marginal, since the beginning of 2024 until May 6 Only 64 people arrived from the Algerian coast, compared to 199 in the same period. There are also no arrivals from Turkey, from which the number of arrivals from January 2023 to May 6 of last year was 988.
Most of the migrants who arrived in Italy They came from Bangladesh "3.425" and Syria “2,460”, two nationalities that usually sail from Libya. Then they were followed by 2,286 Tunisians, an increase of 6.2 percent in three weeks, and 1,631 Guineans, who were supposed to have left the coast of Tunisia. It is also worth noting the arrival of 1,043 Egyptians, 690 Pakistanis and 613 Malians. There are 5,251 others of “other nationalities”.
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