The number of refugees seeking
asylum in Italy rose by 60% from 2012 to 27,830 in 2013, the
Jesuit-run Centro Astalli refugee centre said in a report
published Tuesday.
Asylum-seekers accounted for 65% of the 42,925 migrants who
landed on Italy's southern shores during the course of the year.
The majority came from Mali, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan,
Senegal, Pakistan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Guinea, the report
continued.
Just 695 asylum-seekers came from war-torn Syria, despite
the fact that Syrians represent the largest nationl group
seeking asylum across the European Union.
"These figures indicate that people seeking protection are
fully aware of the difficulties presented by the Italian context
and make every effort to go elsewhere," said the association in
its report.
The Centro Astalli took custody of 713 victims of torture,
deliberate violence or sexual abuse in 2013.
"Of greatest concern is the fact that very often these
people are unable to access adequate accommodation: almost half
of torture victims receiving legal assistance reported living on
the streets, in occupied buildings or temporarily with friends
or acquaintances," the report said.
The Jesuit organisation criticised the "emergency
procedures" still used in Italy to deal with asylum seekers and
slammed the country's "inability to meet even their most
immediate needs".
The report came after Italian navy vessels rescued 1,049
migrants including 151 women and 91 minors - of whom three
newborn babies - late Monday night after the boats they were
travelling in ran into difficulty in the Sicilian channel.
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