Migrant sea arrivals more than double

Staff Correspondent: Migrant sea arrivals more than doubled in the first seven months of 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to interior ministry data released yesterday.
Italy registered 89,158 landings on its southern shores from January to July, compared to 41,435 in 2022, a rise of 115.18%. In the first seven months of the year the main country of departure to Italy was Tunisia.
In the same period in 2022 the main country of departure was Libya.
2023 has also seen an increase in the number of arrivals following search and rescue events, according to the ministry.
In the period January-July 64,764 migrants and refugees – 72.64% of total sea arrivals – were disembarked in Italy following a sea rescue, compared to 19,171 – 43.27% of the total – in the same period in 2022.
Of the people disembarked following sea rescue, 5.8% were rescued by humanitarian ships run by NGOs.
The number of applications for asylum also increased by 70.59% to 72,460, the ministry said.
Some 2,561 people were repatriated following a negative outcome to their asylum claim, up 28.05% over the same period last year.