Lampedusa declares a state of emergency due to large numbers of migrants. Top Slovak politicians are fighting each other in the election campaign

The municipal council of the Italian island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea has declared a state of emergency due to the thousands of newly arrived boat migrants. Mayor Filippo Mannino announced this on Wednesday evening, reports Ansa news agency. He called for more support for the small island, which is under “great pressure”. The citizens of Lampedusa are desperate. “Everyone in one way or another helped the migrants who needed help. But now it is really time to look for a structural solution,” Mannino continued. It was initially unclear what concrete consequences the declaration of a state of emergency would have for the municipality.

Thousands of boat migrants have reached the island between Sicily and North Africa since Monday – more than 5,000 people arrived on Tuesday alone, according to figures from the Interior Ministry in Rome. Italy’s right-wing government declared a nationwide state of emergency in April due to the large number of migrants traveling through the Mediterranean route.

Lampedusa is located 190 kilometers from the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax and has been one of the hotspots of migration to Europe for years. The first reception center there, with room for around 400 people, is again completely overcrowded. There are currently almost 6,800 migrants on the island, most of them in the camp.

The situation in the port came to a head on Wednesday afternoon. According to consistent media reports, hundreds of migrants attempted to leave the port and breach barriers. As video footage shows, police pushed people back. The responsible financial police did not want to comment on this when asked in the evening. (sda/dpa)