Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said that new measures must be taken to reduce such treacherous journeys. “It is essential to continue with every possible initiative to stop departures and discourage crossings in any way which takes advantage of the illusory mirage of a better life,” he said in a statement.
Most migrants are from Africa
In Vatican City on Sunday, in reference to the shipwreck victims, Pope Francis said: “I pray for each of them, for the missing, and for the other migrants who survived. I thank those who are helping them and those who are giving them assistance. May the Virgin Mary help these brothers and sisters.”
UNHCR records show that 11,874 people have arrived in Italy so far in 2023 by sea, with 678 of them arriving at Calabria.
Generally, arrivals are from African countries rather than the Middle East and Asia, with most boats setting off from Libya.
The most deadly migration route is the Central Mediterranean route, where at least 20,334 people passed away since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project.
