Italian authorities have begun to deploy a new specialised camera aboard helicopters to track illegal migration and people smuggling operations in the Mediterranean sea.
Italian intelligence agencies have warned of a new surge of migrants in the coming weeks, stating at that least 20,000 migrants are ready to leave Libya and head for Europe.
Nearly 500 illegal immigrants held on tourist boats have been allowed to disembark in Malta after migrants stole knives and threatened to blow up a vessel.
An Italian court has sentenced three foreign people-smugglers to 20 years each after they were found guilty of torturing migrants who were attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report has revealed that as many as 650,000 migrants are currently waiting in Libya, ready to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
The vast majority of boat migrants are not refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has admitted.
Illegal migrants quarantined aboard a ferry after landing in Italy are estimated to be costing taxpayers over €4,000 per month each.
A cargo ship unloaded 79 migrants to the island of Sicily as Italy sees a rise in illegal immigration and the European Union border agency Frontex warns of a surge of migrants heading toward Greece.
Despite the continuing coronavirus outbreak, Italy has seen a surge in migrants at its northern border and one the island of Lampedusa, which is becoming overwhelmed.
An incident that took place over Easter weekend has revealed that migrants leaving North Africa are being given contact details of Italian lawyers before they leave for Europe.
A doctor working onboard a migrant transport NGO ship has claimed that picking up migrants in the Mediterranean matters more than worries over the Wuhan coronavirus.
The leftist governing coalition has closed all ports in Italy to migrant transport NGOs, stating that the country is no longer a safe haven due to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.
The coronavirus outbreak that has led to the quarantine of all of Italy has had a side effect of stopping the activity of migrant transport NGOs in the Mediterranean.
Since January 1st of 2020, a total of 2,553 migrants have arrived in Italy under the leftist coalition government, with February also seeing a surge in new arrivals.
According to a poll, nearly half of Italians say that it was wrong for senators to strip populist leader Matteo Salvini of his immunity as a potential trial against the former interior minister looms.
Spain on Tuesday resumed the search for 67 migrants missing from a boat trying to reach Europe after authorities rescued 119 others.
German newspaper Die Welt has admitted that most of the migrants coming in boats across the Mediterranean are not genuine refugees and are unlikely to gain asylum status.
A senior member of populist Matteo Salvini’s League has warned the leftist government of potential “chaos” if it pursues plans to grant amnesty to around 700,000 illegal migrants.
In just four days, 22 boats containing around 1,500 migrants have launched from the Libyan mainland toward Italy as the leftist coalition increases the daily allowance for migrants.
Jean-Paul Cavalieri, head of the Libya mission for the UNHCR, has warned that deteriorating conditions across Libya are producing over 200,000 displaced persons.
A new review of European Union (EU) money being spent in Libya to help curb the flow of migrants has shown that the money is actually lining the pockets of warlords and people-smuggling networks.
The Italian Interior Ministry has released figures showing that illegal migrant landings have reduced by half in 2019, largely thanks to policies enacted by former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.
The migrant who attempted to set a bus full of children on fire earlier this year has claimed that populist leader Matteo Salvini is to blame for his actions due to his closed-port policies.
In the past week, around 800 migrants have attempted to reach Italy from North Africa as migrant transport NGO activity has resumed the flow of migrants in the Mediterranean.
Police arrested some 107 migrants for their role in the riots that overran a migrant holding centre on the island nation of Malta. A group of migrants set fire to five cars and a number of rooms in the Hal
“These deaths are the results of do-gooders, of ‘there is room for everyone’, of open ports, of renewed enthusiasm for the smugglers,” Salvini said.
An illegal Tunisian migrant, who had been deported from Italy, mocked populist leader Matteo Salvini after getting back into the country, saying he was glad Salvini was gone.
Populist former interior minister Matteo Salvini has blamed the recent deaths of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea on the leftist government’s open port policy. Mr Salvini said the open ports policy resumed by the Five Star Movement-Democratic Party coalition is
The Italian island of Lampedusa is under enormous strain to cope with new migrant arrivals with its reception centre already at double capacity.
Populist VOX leader Santiago Abascal has blamed the European Union for putting pressure on Italy and pushing Matteo Salvini out of the government.
Greece’s coast guard says it has seized a sailing boat and arrested two people on suspicion of trying to smuggle 37 migrants to Italy.
Ten migrant transport NGO vessels are now operating in the Mediterranean as the left-wing establishment Democratic Party looks to reopen Italy’s ports.
The Norwegian government has confirmed it will not be taking in any migrants rescued by NGO Proactiva Open Arms in the Mediterranean, despite a French request.
Migrant rescue NGO Proactiva Open Arms has rejected an offer from the Spanish government to dock in Spain and land migrants onboard, claiming the voyage would take too long. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez invited the NGO to land the migrants
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on members of the European Union (EU) to resume rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean using naval vessels. The German leader commented on the issue stating that it would be good to resume a mission
NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says it is looking for a European port to land after picking up 251 migrants off the coast of Libya.
The Italian government has adopted a new migration and security decree that could see migrant transport NGOs fined up to one million euros for bringing migrants to the country.
The German-based NGO Sea-Eye have announced they will not be challenging the closed port policy of Lega leader Matteo Salvini, opting instead to head for Malta to drop off migrants.
After picking up 40 migrants, the NGO Sea-Eye has challenged Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini, saying they will never return “rescued” migrants to nearby Libya.
German interior minister Horst Seehofer has requested Italy re-open ports to migrant transport vessels as NGOs ramp up operations off the coast of Libya.
