In recent days, dozens of precarious and overloaded boats have entered the waters of Lampedusa, a 20 km2 rock located about a hundred kilometers east of the Tunisian coast.
As often during the summer months, when the milder weather reduces the risk of travel from North Africa, the reception center on the island is overwhelmed, with more than 1,500 people listed for a capacity three times lower. .
Matteo Salvini has made stopping migratory flows and border control the cornerstone of his programme.
His party, the Lega, is running for the legislative elections on September 25 with its allies Forza Italia (right) and Fratelli d'Italia (post-fascist). They are given favorites against a fragmented left.
"Italy cannot accept tens of thousands of immigrants who only bring problems, coming from the other side of the world," he said ahead of his Thursday visit to Lampedusa, where he will spend the night.
While serving as interior minister in 2019, Salvini prevented several humanitarian relief ships carrying migrants from landing in Italy.
This decision earned him to be prosecuted by the courts in Sicily for kidnapping and abuse of power. A trial which he made a political platform.
"The only minister to have blocked the landings (and he is on trial!)", headlines the party in a post on its Facebook page.
But polls suggest immigration is less of a concern for Italians than economic issues, with high inflation weighing on purchasing power and energy bills.
And Salvini is lagging behind in opinion polls. His Lega has been overtaken in recent months in the polls by the Fratelli d'Italia party led by Giorgia Meloni, which is also calling for a "naval blockade" to stem the arrival of migrants in the Mediterranean.
- Appeal to the EU -
The government has chartered a ferry to evacuate migrants from Lampedusa to Sicily. Salvini accused the left on Wednesday of wanting to "hide" them before he arrived.
The tiny city of Lampedusa is renowned for its beautiful beaches, but its location closer to Tunisia than Sicily has put it at the forefront of migration to Europe.
The central Mediterranean is the deadliest migration route in the world, with nearly 20,000 deaths and disappearances since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Italy has recorded more than 42,000 migrant landings since January 1, compared to nearly 30,000 in the same period last year and 14,400 in 2020.
And the pace doesn't seem to be slowing down. The NGOs SOS Méditerranée, Médecins sans frontières (MSF) and Sea-Watch have rescued more than 1,000 people at sea in recent days.
MSF's Geo Barents ship is currently carrying 659 people, including more than 150 minors, but despite requests to Italy and Malta, no port has yet been assigned to them.
"For some, it is now the 7th day on board the Geo Barents. The situation is becoming increasingly precarious and food rations are down," MSF tweeted on Wednesday.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, these NGOs called on the EU to resume search and rescue activities to help them respond to the influx of migrants over the summer.
The EU has ended its controversial operation to combat human trafficking in the Mediterranean in 2020, replacing it with Operation Irini, which focuses on maintaining the UN arms embargo on destinations. of Libya.
"The removal of European search and rescue resources (...) has proven to be deadly and ineffective in preventing dangerous crossings", regretted Xavier Lauth, director of operations of SOS Méditerranée.
