UNHCR calls for action to alleviate humanitarian situation on Lampedusa
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR is calling for urgent action by the Italian authorities to alleviate overcrowding on the island of Lampedusa. The humanitarian situation for the 5,000 mostly Tunisian migrants on this remote Italian island is deteriorating.
With the ratio of migrants to local population now one-to-one, the congestion is raising tensions within the local population and among the migrants. The local population is experiencing the present situation with understandable nervousness. We urge the Italian authorities to increase the number of transfers from the island to the mainland to relieve congestion on Lampedusa, and to allow the reception center there to function normally.
The local reception centre, designed to accommodate 850 people, at present hosts some 2,000. Another 3,000 people are forced to sleep in the rough close to the centre and on the docks. Despite valiant efforts of the local humanitarian workers, many people are unable to find shelter from rain and cold weather. Hygiene conditions are dire.
The vast majority of migrants on Lampedusa have departed from Tunisia driven by economic hardship. Only a few express the intention to seek international protection. Most are looking for employment opportunities.
Considering the fast pace of events unfolding in northern Africa, UNHCR urges EU solidarity with Italy as it faces this new challenge. It is crucial that the situation on Lampedusa not impede Italian preparedness for arrivals of persons fleeing the situation in Libya, as such persons would be likely to have international protection needs. In this context, UNHCR trusts that any mechanisms designed to control irregular migration will ensure access to the territory for people in need of protection.
More than 15,000 Tunisian migrants have arrived on Lampedusa since mid-January. Around two-thirds have meanwhile been transferred to other locations in Italy.
Related news and stories
First UNITY Cup shows the power of football to connect refugees and hosts
Scholarships in Italy allow refugees to dream again
Relief for asylum seekers offered a new life outside Libya
Evacuation flights from Libya to Italy bring hope for vulnerable asylum seekers
UNHCR and Council of Europe discuss statelessness, urge States to uphold the right to a nationality in Europe
UNHCR warns of mounting refugee and migrant deaths in the Central Mediterranean
Your search for « lampedusa » matched 340 results. Displaying page 17 of 38 pages.
-
Number of civilians to flee Libya's Western Mountains nears 40,000
3 May 2011 ... Meanwhile, people have resumed fleeing Libya by sea to Italy after a 10-day break due to bad weather. Some 3,200 people have arrived on Lampedusa Island over the past five days, most of them ...... -
UNHCR plans varied World Refugee Day programme during 60th year
10 Jun 2011 ... Activities and special events will not be restricted to June 20, but will start in the week ahead of the special day. Guterres, for example, will be going to Italy's Lampedusa Island on June 19 to ...... -
Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries, 2011: Statistical Overview of Asylum Applications Lodged in Europe and Selected Non-European Countries
27 Mar 2012 ... ... reception centre on the italian island of Lampedusa. 4 Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized ... coastguard boat approaches the island of Lampedusa to disembark 142 persons, including some ...... Attachments: Asylum trends 2011 - annex tables (.zip) -
UNHCR Recommendations on Important Aspects of Refugee Protection in Italy
Jul 2013 ... ... except those who had arrived in Lampedusa, have been repatriated without ... at: http://www.savethechildren.it/informati/comunicati/lampedusa_continua_a_mancare_un_piano?year=2013 15 See report ...... -
Pope Francis meets and blesses Nansen Refugee Award winner in Rome
2 Oct 2013 ... In July, weeks after being elected, Pope Francis paid a symbolic visit to Italy's Lampedusa Island in the Mediterranean, meeting a group of recently arrived migrants and calling for understanding for ...... -
3.8. Irregular Migration from WA through the Maghreb to the EU (Regional Conference on Refugee Protection and International Migration in West Africa)
14 Nov 2008 ... ... monitor the area between Malta, the Italian island of Lampedusa, and the Tunisian and Libyan coast. ... Gibraltar to Spain or from Tunisia to Italy (Lampedusa, Pantalleria, or Sicily) by pateras (fisher ...... -
Statement by Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner - Protection, UNHCR at the INTERTANKO Annual Tanker Event, Tokyo, Japan, 14 May 2009
14 May 2009 ... ... South China Sea, or the European islands of Lampedusa in Italy, the Canaries of Spain, or the Greek ... to approx 70 persons adrift on a small boat 45 miles off 3 Lampedusa in the SAR Maltese region. ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2006 - Western Europe Subregional Overview
1 Jun 2007 ... ... by a considerable number of lives lost at sea near Lampedusa, Malta and the Canary Islands. ... The Lampedusa project will continue in 2007-2008 and will include additional activities such as the ...... -
Revision to the UNHCR Supplementary Budget: The Libya Situation 2011 - 29 March 2011
29 Mar 2011 ... ... needs of persons who have landed on Lampedusa and Malta. 3 STRATEGY AND ACTIVITIES Tunisia ... continued influx of irregular migrants, particularly to the islands of Lampedusa in Italy and Malta. ......