AFP
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NOS News•yesterday, 22:50
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Italy has begun transferring migrants from Lampedusa to Sicily. The shelter on the island of Lampedusa was built for 350 residents. A former mayor of Lampedusa reported yesterday on Facebook that the number of residents had risen to 2100.
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“Even women, children, the sick and the needy sleep on the floor, wherever they eat among the garbage,” she wrote. “There are less than 200 beds.”
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She also added photos. It shows that residents are lying on foam mattresses in a heavily polluted environment. “These could be photos from Libya,” the former mayor wrote. “But no, it’s Italy.”
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Giusi Nicolini
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The Interior Ministry then sent a naval vessel to transfer the first 600 migrants to Sicily. From there they are spread further across Italy. The center on Lampedusa must be completely cleared by Monday. It is not clear whether it will be put back into service after that.
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According to the Interior Ministry, 30,000 migrants have already crossed from North Africa by boat to Italy this year. In the same period last year there were 22,700 and the year before 7500. Some of these migrants arrive at Lampedusa, which is the closest from Libya.
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It is a dangerous journey, for which the migrants have paid hundreds of dollars to people smugglers.
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