Over 6,700 Migrants Arrive Illegally to Italy By Sea So Far this Year

Chris TomlinsonApril 2, 2022

Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese has reported that so far this year, at least 6,701 migrants have arrived in Italy by sea, with around half of the migrants needing to be rescued.

According to Minister Lamorgese, 3,323 of the 6701 migrants were rescued while at sea in the Mediterranean and a further 3,378 migrants were able to land on Italian shores of their own accord. Of those rescued, 1,595 were picked up by migrant taxi NGO vessels.

The vast majority of the 6,701 migrants departed from the coast of Libya, with 4,236 heading to Italy from the country, while 1,494 migrants set sail from neighbouring Tunisia, the European Union-funded website InfoMigrants reports.

Minister Lamorgese also noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could have a further impact on migration flows from North Africa as countries like Tunisia are largely dependent on wheat and other commodities from Ukraine as well as from Russia.

Pay for the food of the developing world or face another migrant crisis — this is the ultimatum the head of the UN’s World Food Program has put to Europe’s leaders. https://t.co/qibVD8ysrt

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 29, 2022

Earlier this week, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke at the United Nations Security Council and accused Russia of creating a global food crisis as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.

Sherman directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin saying, “The responsibility for waging war on Ukraine — and for the war’s effects on global food security — falls solely on Russia and on President Putin.”

David Beasley, the head of the UN’s World Food Programme, has also warned of a looming migration crisis as a result of the food shortages caused by the war in Ukraine and called on Europe to provide more food aid to areas facing possible famine.

“Failure to provide this year a few extra billion dollars means you’re going to have famine, destabilization, and mass migration,” Beasley said and added, “If you think we’ve got Hell on earth now, you just get ready.”

“If we neglect northern Africa, northern Africa’s coming to Europe. If we neglect the Middle East, [the] Middle East is coming to Europe,” he said.

In the first four weeks of the year, the number of migrants arriving illegally on Italian soil has nearly tripled compared to the same period last year as the country continues to struggle to deport illegals. https://t.co/EWQsewYSBD

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) February 14, 2022