There were just 152 migrants and
refugees in the hotspot on Lampedusa on Sunday afternoon
following a hiatus in sea arrivals due to rough seas.
There have been no arrivals since Thursday on the tiny Sicilian
island that is Europe's southernmost landmass and closer to
Tunisia than it is to Italy.
Of the group still present after recent transfers off the
island, 128 were reportedly unaccompanied migrants.
The authorities often struggle to find reception places for
children on their own given the legal obligation to accommodate
them in dedicated facilities.
Lampedusa has come under the spotlight in recent weeks following
an apparent sudden surge in migrant boat landings from north
Africa.
At one point, the number of migrants and refugees on the island
outnumbered the local population of around 6,000.
Last Sunday Premier Giorgia Meloni traveled to the island with
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen to assess the
situation and insist that Europe take more responsibility for
managing the situation.
During the visit, Von der Leyen presented the 10-point Lampedusa
plan including a possible new EU naval mission in the
Mediterranean, faster repatriations of people whose asylum
claims have been rejected and humanitarian corridors for legal
arrivals.
"Italy can count on the EU," von der Leyen told a press
conference on the island.
"It is very important to be here today together with the Italian
authorities. "Migration is a European challenge that requires a
European answer and solution.
"It is concrete actions that will bring change on the ground.
"It is only through solidarity and unity that we can achieve
this," she said.
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