(Reuters) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Lampedusa on Sunday, an official said, as dozens of the Italian island’s citizens protested over a recent surge in migrant arrivals.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on Friday for the European Union (EU) to act jointly “with a naval mission if necessary” to prevent migrants from North Africa crossing the Mediterranean.
Nearly 126,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, almost double the figure by the same date in 2022. Lampedusa has recently borne the brunt, with thousands of landings this week, more than the island’s permanent population.
