The Italian Interior Ministry has released new statistics showing that, since the start of 2022, over 45,000 migrants have illegally entered the country as new boat landings continue on Italian shores.
The Interior Ministry figures say that a total of 45,664 migrants have arrived on Italian shores since January 1st — a substantial rise from the same period last year, in which 32,533 migrants arrived in Italy illegally by sea.
Over a quarter of the migrants who have arrived in Italy this year did so last month as 13,197 migrants landed in July alone, a monthly figure not seen since 2017 — and a figure greater than all of the migrant arrivals in the entire year of 2019.
So far this month, as of August 12th, 4,230 migrants have arrived in Italy, with the 5th of August alone seeing over a thousand arrivals. Last year, August saw more arrivals than July of 2021, but it is unclear if that trend will repeat this year as 2020 saw more arrivals in July than August.
According to a report from the newspaper Il Giornale, the only year to see more migrants arrive during the period from January 1st to August 12th was 2017, when 95,215 migrants arrived.
Tunisians, Egyptians and Bangladeshis remain the three most common countries of origin for illegal immigrants entering Italy, followed by Afghans and Syrians.
While more and more migrants arrive in Italy, recent figures show that very few of them are legitimate refugees, with just 15 per cent of the migrants who came illegally last year being recognized as having refugee status. Over half had their asylum claims rejected.
Populist League leader Matteo Salvini, who has made immigration a major part of his campaign going into next month’s national elections, commented on the arrival figures earlier this month.
“In July of this year, we exceeded the landings recorded throughout 2019. We can’t wait to return to the government to take care of work, security, and defence of Italy,” Salvini said, adding: “We need a minister ready to defend the borders, we owe it out of respect for Italians in difficulty.”
Migrant arrivals decreased sharply during Salvini’s time as Interior Minister in 2018 and 2019, and Salvini himself has hinted at returning to the role, stating that a memebr of his party, the League, should be Italy’s next Interior Minister.
“I count on a man or a woman from the League at the Viminale [Interior Ministry] because we wrote the security decrees. I think, with regard to immigration, that in 2018 and 2019, Italy was a safer, more protected, more European country. I will go where the Italians send me,” he said.
Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy (FdI), the most popular party in the centre-right coalition with Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, has also come out strongly on illegal migration, suggesting Italy launch a naval blockade to stop migrant boats.
Polling and forecast projections suggest the centre-right alliance could win a majority of seats in next month’s national election on September 25th, and both Salvini and ally Silvio Berlusconi have opened the door for anti-communist and socially conservative firebrand Ms Meloni to become Italy’s first female prime minister.
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