Newly arrived migrants wait to embark on a ferry to the mainland, in the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, August 27, 2023. Since Jan. 1, around 118,500 sea migrants have landed on Italian shores, a near-record figure that jars with Meloni's election campaign pledges. On current trends, arrivals are near the peak recorded in 2016, when about 181,500 sea migrants arrived in Italy. Members of the ruling coalition have accused the EU of not offering enough support for Italy - but other EU members are also under pressure from immigration. Italy faces more sea arrivals but other countries are dealing with higher overall migration figures, including via land.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 13, 2023 16:52 UTC