(Reuters) The Italian island of Lampedusa is struggling with a record number of landings from boat migrants, local officials said on Tuesday, describing the situation as “dramatic.”
Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost point and a first port of call for people crossing from North Africa, has long been a flashpoint of Europe’s migration crisis.
The daily tally of migrant boats reaching the island has surpassed a previous record of 63 last month and is expected to hit around 80 by the end of the day, local police chief Emanuele Ricifari told Reuters.
He said there were about 2,800 migrants in the island’s “hotspot” reception centre — which has an official capacity of only around 400 — plus about 300 more in other parts of the island.
