(AFP) A fishing boat carrying nearly 370 migrants landed overnight on the Italian island of Lampedusa, the country’s news agencies said on Sunday, fueling anger from local officials over a recent rise in illegal arrivals.
Italy has been struggling in recent months with daily arrivals of hundreds of migrants leaving from North Africa to its southern shores, a task complicated by security measures imposed by the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Local Lampedusa Mayor Toto Martello called for a general strike on the island from Monday to protest the national government’s “frightening silence” on the issue.
“Lampedusa can no longer cope with this situation. Either the government takes immediate decisions or the whole island will go on strike,” Martello told ANSA news agency. “We can’t manage the emergency and the situation is now really unsustainable.”
