Premier Giuseppe Conte on Monday
promised that his government will adopt a tough stance after an
upsurge in the arrival of asylum seekers from North Africa.
The rise in the number of migrant-boat landings has put
facilities under strain, especially given the need for arrivals
to go into quarantine due to the coronavirus emergency.
Several cases of large groups of migrants under quarantine
running away from the facilities hosting them has caused
widespread concern.
"You cannot enter Italy in this way, especially in this acute
phase (of the COVID-19 emergency,)" Conte said during a visit to
Cerignola in Puglia.
"We cannot allow the international community to be exposed to
additional uncontrollable dangers.
"There are migrants who try to flee from health surveillance.
"We cannot allow it. We must be tough and inflexible.
"We cannot tolerate people entering Italy in an illegal way.
"We cannot allow the sacrifices the country made due to the
COVID-19 crisis to be rendered in vain.
"We must intensify repatriations".
Around 200 asylum seekers landed on eight different boats on
Lampedusa overnight, further complicating the already difficult
situation on the southern Italian island.
The asylum seekers were taken to the island's migrant hotspot,
taking the number present at the facility up to 910. In theory
the structure has a capacity of 95.
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