NGO Demands Expansion of Reception Facilities on Island Inundated by Migrants

A migrant (L) waves after disembarking on the southern Italian Pelagie Island of Lampedusa
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images
Chris Tomlinson

The pro-migrant NGO Doctors Without Borders has called for an expansion of reception facilities on the Italian island of Lampedusa, which has been inundated by new migrant arrivals for months.

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières/MSF) has stated that the island cannot deal with the thousands of migrants arriving by sea and claims it has assisted around 11,000 new arrivals in just two months.

“Today’s disembarkation methods do not facilitate the identification of some specific health needs, starting with those related to traumatic experiences, such as the violence suffered in Libya or other stages of the migrant’s journey,” the NGO said, according to Il Giornale.

The current reception structure on Lampedusa, which is supposed to house just 250 migrants, is often overcrowded, with as many as 900 migrants residing in the centre.

Not everyone is in favour of expanding the reception centre, however. Attilio Lucia, the local coordinator for the populist Matteo Salvini’s League, criticised the idea of increasing the capacity of the island, calling for pro-migrant charities to leave Lampedusa.

“For 35 years, we have been fighting against this invasion. The NGOs have to understand that they must leave the island. The government must intervene to block the landings and instead create vital structures that Lampedusans need,” Lucia said, criticising NGOs for calling for the kinds of infrastructure to be provided for migrants that residents on the island lack.

“Does Mayor Totò Martello want to continue to support this madness?” Lucia continued. “I want to appeal to the governor of Sicily Nello Musumeci to do something and for the island to return to live on tourism and fishing and for Matteo Salvini to come to Lampedusa,” he said.

“Doctors Without Borders, stop making propaganda on the backs of migrants,” he concluded.

Landings on Lampedusa have been continuous over the last several months, with over 500 arriving on the island on a single fishing boat at the end of August, the single largest landing in memory, according to Lampedusa mayor Totò Martello.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com

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