The authorities on the Italian island of Lampedusa have declared a state of emergency after several thousand migrants arrived in boats, Mayor Filippo Mannino announced on Wednesday evening.
According to Italian news agency Ansa, Mr. Mannino appealed for help for his island, which he said was under “heavy pressure.” The population says it is desperate, the mayor said. “Everyone has helped migrants who needed it in their own way, but now it’s time to find a structural solution,” he urged.
What exactly the state of emergency entails was not immediately clear.
The government of far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had already declared a state of emergency for the whole of Italy in April.
Since Monday, boats carrying thousands of migrants have landed on Lampedusa, located between Sicily and North Africa. On Tuesday alone, 5,000 people arrived on the Mediterranean island, according to figures from the Italian Ministry of the Interior.
The Lampedusa migrant registration camp, which has a capacity of around 400 places, has been completely overwhelmed. At the moment, almost 6,800 migrants are on the island, which has an area of around 20 square kilometres and a population of about 6,000.
The island is located 190 kilometres from the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax.
Tensions increased at the port on Wednesday afternoon when hundreds of migrants tried to leave the area and break through security barriers, according to several media reports. Videos were circulated showing police trying to push them back.
