Mayors sound the alarm in southern Italy as migrant reception centers are overcrowded and discontent is growing among the population. Other Mediterranean states are also reporting an increase in arrivals.
At the moment, there is a lot of anger among local mayors against the Italian government. They report unbearable heat and cramped conditions in migrant camps that are too small and overcrowded – and are demanding a ban on new arrivals in their municipalities.
More than 13,000 migrants have arrived in Italy across the Mediterranean this year, an increase of about 9,000 over the same period last year. According to the UN Refugee Agency, many people embarked on a perilous journey in July when the waters were relatively calm.
Local mood makes itself felt
Felix Weiss of the Marine Migrant Rescue Organization recently returned to Germany after a multi-week aerial reconnaissance mission in Lampedusa. He said that the mood on the island could deteriorate: “The situation in Lampedusa is extremely tense. In recent months, almost 5,500 people have reached the island on their own. That’s two or three boats a day. “
German volunteers have yet to register any attacks, but two smaller shipyards, where the wooden boats of migrants are often stored, were recently set on fire – and Weiss also senses a shift in mood among a population that was previously open-minded towards migrants.