[Video] Migrants in Lampedusa are protesting because the authorities are taking them too slowly to the mainland

The mass arrival of migrants has caused chaotic conditions on the Italian island of Lampedusa. It seems that not only the local residents are dissatisfied, but also the migrants. The latter have decided that, due to their dissatisfaction with the behavior of the Italian authorities, they are protesting against it, as they are being transported too slowly to the inland parts of our continent. Even the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, did not promise the Italians a maritime blockade and a stop to the distribution of illegal immigrants across EU countries.

In recent days, more migrants than the island’s population have arrived on the territory of the small island of Lampedusa in Sicily. On Tuesday alone, the authorities counted around 5,000 people who arrived on boats to the island’s port. Despite the departure of migrants to other parts of Italy, the reception center on the island continues to be overburdened. Over the course of the weekend, tensions could be seen to be rising. Dissatisfied migrants have decided to leave their temporary accommodation and set up road barricades in protest, as they want the Italian authorities to take them to the mainland as quickly as possible.

Read also: The President of the European Commission promised to help besieged Italy in Lampedusa

On the island, judging by the footage that appeared on the X social network, they have a lot of work to do with public order. Tensions also seem to arise between the migrants themselves:

The inhabitants of the island are fed up with migration flows
Lampedusa residents gathered in the city center on Saturday to protest against plans to set up a tent city on Lampedusa. The representatives of the authorities were told that the islanders had run out of patience after three decades of dealing with the arrival of migrants. “I have two children at home. In years past, I was not interested in this question. But now I have an instinct to protect my children because I don’t know what will happen to Lampedusa in the future,” one of the protesters told the Reuters news agency. “Lampedusa says stop! We don’t want tent camps. This message is for Europe and the Italian government. The people of Lampedusa are tired,” another protester said.

French reporters on the ground highlighted an important aspect of migrants’ motivation: a strong desire to return to France. Family ties and the fact that they can easily find employment in France without documents contribute to this. French TV asked migrants in Lampedusa why they came: “TV channels in Burkina Faso are still broadcasting messages about how high social assistance is in France,” was one of the answers they got, according to Visegrad.

Despite the European Commission’s agreement with Tunisia to curb migration flows to Europe in exchange for economic aid, the majority of migrants arrived precisely from Tunisia. The crisis is causing tension in the Italian government, which has promised to curb illegal migration. The leader of the League is especially critical Matteo Salvini, which canceled the agreement between the EU and Tunisia. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyenwho was in a hurry to Lampedusa over the weekend, promised help to Italy and presented a ten-point European action plan, which is supposed to solve the migration pressure that Italy is facing.

N. Ž.