He is believed to have been in contact with the attacker the night before the attack, according to a judicial official. President Emmanuel Macron has stepped up military patrols at churches and other sites ahead of All Saints' Day on Sunday. Tunisians fleeing a virus-battered economy make up the largest contingent of migrants landing in Italy this year. Italy's interior minister rejected any suggestion that Italian authorities shared the blame for what had happened. The suspect arrived by migrant boat to Lampedusa island, Italy's southernmost point, on Sept. 20, and was issued with an expulsion order on Oct. 9, which he ignored, Lamorgese said.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 30, 2020 12:40 UTC