Following the recent rescue of migrants in the central Mediterranean, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that the number of arrivals to Italy by sea increased by 170% in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
The UN News website reported a statement by spokesperson of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Italy, that the rescue operations carried out by the “Sea Watch” ship brought about 450 people, including 190 under-age people, to Italy. She added that about 1,500 migrants have entered Italy since the beginning of this month, after they were rescued in the central Mediterranean by the Italian coast guards, customs police, and international organizations.
The spokesperson explained that most of them come from Mali, the Sahel region, Eritrea, and North Africa. She expressed the organization’s concern about the high number of deaths among migrants at sea, as at least 500 people lost their lives while crossing the Mediterranean since the beginning of this year.
The Commission called for the re-establishment of a system of search and rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, and providing more legal pathways such as humanitarian corridors, evacuations, resettlement, and family reunions.
#Italy #Migrants #Mediterranean
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