Over 500 migrants have arrived on Lampedusa amid a new surge in migration from Africa to Europe.
Over the weekend, a new wave of migrants arrived in Europe from Africa, with over 500 individuals reaching the Italian island of Lampedusa since Saturday, according to local authorities. On Sunday alone, six boats carrying 210 migrants landed on the island.
Migrants Rescued by Authorities
This recent surge saw several boats carrying migrants being escorted to shore by the crews of the Coast Guard and the Financial Guard. The migrants included nationals from Tunisia, Syria, Sudan, and a large group from Bangladesh, all of whom were transferred to the registration and identification center in Lampedusa.
A Significant Increase in Arrivals
On Saturday, over 300 migrants arrived on the island. In one notable incident, a young Ethiopian woman gave birth aboard a boat en route to Lampedusa. Since the beginning of this year, around 35,000 migrants have reached Italy by sea, marking a significant decrease of over 60 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Interior Ministry in Rome.