Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called an emergency meeting on Monday as a record number of illegal migrants arrived on the Italian peninsula over the weekend. More than 6,000 people, mostly from Africa, arrived by boat in just two days according to Italy’s interior ministry and the total number since January is over 113,000, more than double in the same period in 2022. The numbers are the highest since 2016 when 180,000 migrants flooded Italy’s borders. In response to the current crisis, Meloni has convened the Interministerial Committee for the Security of the Republic (CISR) in order to “tackle the problem in a pragmatic way, with quick and coordinated decisions.” Meloni also called for “further legislative measures to combat illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings, and the consequences of irregular immigration in terms of public security.” Almost 10% of the immigrants are unaccompanied minors which receive special benefits under Italy’s 2017 Zampa law.
